


The Journeys of Jacen Syndulla

by Kenobi97



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 20:58:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 39
Words: 54,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14756195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenobi97/pseuds/Kenobi97
Summary: Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.Warning: This story contains spoilers for the show, Star Wars Rebels as well as other Star Wars books, and movies.





	1. Prologue - Kanan's Sacrifice

Kanan could see her.  The promise he had made to his lover before that ill-fated trip to Malachor echoed in his ears.  The miraculous sight of her verdant face brought him comfort in his last moment as the blast consumed him.  He felt purpose and peace.  And the happiness of knowing that he was saving the woman he loved and the unborn child he could sense in her womb.  Yet it was after death when he felt a twinge of sorrow.  His spirit knew that Hera would blame herself.  She would be heartbroken.  He would have so liked to have seen his child grow up.  And grow old with the woman he loved.  He could feel his soul slipping away.  Going to the place between places.  The world between worlds.  To rejoin with the Cosmic Force.  But he fought back against it.  He felt one with the planet.  One with the wolves.  One with Hera, and Ezra.  All living beings.  In his own way he could guide them.

The wolf pack with Kanan at its head had led his companions to the Jedi Temple on Lothal.  He had placed a hand on Hera’s shoulder to comfort her.  And he had given them the closure of saying goodbye.  He had felt the wind rush through his fur on the plains of Lothal and had spent many moons with the pack.  But his time in this world was coming to an end.  He laid down one night among the wolves and felt his body dissolve into the earth.  The Force was flowing around him.  It was a stream of energy upon which he could float and yet an anchor that seemed to root him like a tree.  He looked down at himself and saw he was again in human form wearing his familiar clothes from his time in the Rebellion.  His face had the patch of hair he once wore on his chin, and his hair was tied back into the topknot he favored during his time in exile.  A familiar saber sat comfortably at his side.  Kanan felt called across the vast plane of existence.  He began walking, he climbed mountains, swam across seas, trekked through jungles until he finally saw her before him.  His heart leapt up into his throat.

She turned, and a disbelieving smile sprung upon her face.  The two ran to each other and embraced in a deep hug.  They kissed passionately and rested their heads against each other.  Then Hera lightly punched his arm and said sternly, “Don’t ever leave me again love.  These past years … they’ve been hard without you.”  He nodded solemnly and replied, “Never,” before he kissed her lovingly.  The two sat down below a nearby willow tree and just talked.  For hours and hours.  Really it could have been weeks or years.  Time had little meaning in the netherworld of the Force.  It didn’t matter though.  All that mattered was that they were together, and nothing could tear them apart ever again.

Hera said to Kanan, “We had a son.”  He nodded knowingly and asked, “What was he like?”  She smiled and told him.


	2. Chapter 1 - Lightsaber Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I sat in a booth towards the back of the cantina with my feet kicked up on the table, offering the appearance of someone too deep in their cups.  But my hand rested securely on the blaster at my hip, and my eyes scanned the room with a lazy and half-lidded appearance.  I was meeting a contact in this Corellian dive bar.  The anonymous seller claimed to have Jedi goods, in particular, a lightsaber.  I had been burned at these meetings before.  Either a blaster battle would erupt, or even worse, the saber would not be the one I was looking for.  Somehow though … I could feel that this time would be different.  My father’s legacy wouldn’t rot away in some random creature’s collection.  I nervously ran my hand through my green hair.  The hair had been colored green since I was a little boy and Aunt Sabine decided to dye it when she was babysitting.  Mom was upset at first, but when she saw how I giggled at my reflection she decided to keep my hair that way.  It matched well with my turquoise colored eyes and the light green tint to my skin.  She didn’t know about my sojourns into the underworld to find this particular lightsaber, and I didn’t intend for her to find out.  At least not until I could give my father’s saber back to her.  Vizago had been setting me up with contacts on various worlds and created the impression that I was a purveyor of Jedi relics.  However, the seller was late, and I was getting anxious.

It was nearly last call by the time that a male Duros slid into my booth.  The creature’s large red eyes looked me up and down and he said, “You have the credits?”  I smirked and said, “Do you have the merchandise?”  He lifted a box and opened it for an instant, showing a lightsaber that felt … familiar.  This was it.  I pushed a pile of credits in his direction and grabbed the box while he counted his haul.  It’d take him a few days to realize they were excellent counterfeits, and I had no qualms about cheating black marketeers making a living off of the possessions of the dead.  I should have known it was a set up though.  As I stood to leave the table, I felt a blaster pointed into my back and saw the menacing looks of several thugs positioned throughout the bar.  The Duros said in my ear, “There is a huge bounty out on your kind, Jedi.  We’re gonna walk out of here nice and slow.  Otherwise you’ll see how itchy my trigger finger is.”  I cracked my neck and smirked before spinning around inhumanly fast and grabbing the blaster from the Duros whilst shooting the alien several times with my own weapon.  I kicked over the table we had sat at and dove behind it just as a series of shots began to pepper the air around me.  I grimaced at the situation I was in and popped up every few seconds to take shots at the hired thugs.  As I was shooting something felt … off.  I heard an ethereal sound whispering through the air, and I looked down at the box that I had dropped to the ground.  I opened the case and my hand closed around the warm hilt.

Immediately I was transported to another time.  I was at the edge of a forest watching as a woman wielding a green blade turned and yelled “Run!”  The floor fell out from under me and I was on a rundown planet covered in mud and looking up at a beautiful crystalline moon.  Seconds later I was transported to a metallic catwalk where a ponytailed man battled a Pau’an wielding a red blade.  I could make out the words “… nothing left to fear …”  Next, I was staring at ashy statues where sentient beings had once been and looked at a fearsome battle on a pyramid.  The ponytailed warrior had just been wounded across the eyes by a tattooed Zabrak, but he managed to toss the villain from the Temple.  Finally, I saw a younger Twi’Lek who I knew was my mother looking in terror and shouting “Kanan!” as the man I had seen before held back an explosion.  I heard a whisper from the blade, “The Force will be with you son … always.”

Out of the stupor from the vision, it was as though no time had passed.  I gripped the hilt and thumbed the ignition feeling the thrum as a brilliant blue blade sprung forth.  I heard a gasp from the remaining patrons in the cantina and the blaster fire stopped.  The thugs stared open mouthed.  They must have not realized that their employer was hunting Jedi.  Fearing that I was one of the warrior monks of old, they quickly retreated out of the bar.  A silence fell over the establishment and I calmly deactivated the weapon before tossing a few of my real credits towards the bar tender as an apology for the disturbance and walked out the door.  I needed to be far away from here by the time CorSec arrived.  They would ask too many questions that I wasn’t in a particular mood to answer.  I walked calmly through the bustling streets of Coronet City until I finally reached the docking bay where the Ghost was drydocked.  Mom wouldn’t be back aboard for hours yet.  She was at a meeting with Ambassador Yendor and a group of Populist Corellian politicians.  Ambassador Yendor was a nice enough man.  A veteran of the Galactic Civil War.  And unlike many Twi’Leks, he didn’t hold my racial status as a Human-Twi’Lek hybrid against me.  Most fathers on Ryloth wouldn’t let their daughters date half-breeds like me, so my adolescence had been a bit lonely in that regard.  The only way to determine I wasn’t entirely human was the green tint that colored my skin, particularly where it was thin, and light could pass through it, like the lobes of my ears.  I typed in my code that opened up the ramp and walked inside only to hear Chopper beeping angrily at me.  I sighed in annoyance and said, “You’re not my keeper Chop.  I can go out when I want to.”  The droid mechanically huffed in frustration and rolled off.  I groaned realizing that he’d be in a mood for the rest of the day.  I didn’t know if it was sweet or pathetic that I had a droid trying to dictate my schedule at the age of twenty-seven.

I went into the ship’s refresher and splashed some water on my face before looking up at my reflection.  I saw a young man with green hair and a goatee.  Turquoise eyes looked back at me and I couldn’t tell if they appeared proud or resigned to see my personal quest complete.  I had spent the past two decades accompanying my mother across the galaxy.  I was a spacer through and through and loved to fly.  The past eight years mom had been travelling the galaxy as a war hero and honorary ambassador of the Twi’Lek people.  She had become quite the Populist, fighting in defense of Ryloth’s sovereignty after such a hard-fought victory against Imperial occupation.  In addition to the Syndulla estates on Ryloth, we owned a small apartment on Lothal, which she loved to visit from time to time.  One mission that she had been particularly outspoken for was an end to the enslavement of Twi’Leks across the galaxy.  Crime lords still took Twi’Lek men and women as pleasure slaves and dancers.  Many Twi’Leks died in spice mines across the Outer Rim.  Since Ryloth was not a full member of the New Republic, the galactic government ignored the plight of its people.  That infuriated mom and earned the Centrists an eternal enemy.  They held back any support in the hopes of forcing Ryloth’s hand into joining the New Republic.  So, we made do fixing the problem on our own.  Mom was the Admiral of Ryloth’s planetary defense fleet.  It was a common occurrence for the Ghost to raid slaver ships and liberate the people within, but we were only one ship in an enormous galaxy.  I was proud of my work with the Rylothian Liberation Society, but I still felt like a kid at home.  Which I guess I was.  Tonight’s trip was about liberating a lightsaber rather than a group of slaves.  That had been my covert goal for four years now.  Yet rather than exuberant, I felt hollow.  Like a chapter of my life was ending.  But when one chapter comes to a close, another is just beginning …


	3. Chapter 2 - A New Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I was sitting in the ship’s common area cradling the blade in my lap when I heard my mother walking up the ship’s gangplank.  She shouted out to me, “Jacen are you here?!”  I replied, “Yeah mom!”  She walked into view wearing a black dress that she must have worn to the event.  I stood up and held the lightsaber behind my back.  I said, “Mom.  I found something that I want you to have.”  She rose her eye curiously.  I held out the saber and handed it to her.  She looked at the weapon in surprise and cradled it with a reverence.  I heard her whisper, “I miss you Love.”  She looked at me sternly and said, "Where did you get this?  Vizago?”  I winced and nodded saying, “Don’t blame him.  I twisted his arm.”  She frowned angrily and yelled, “Jacen Jarrus Syndulla!  I already lost your father.  I’m not going to lose you in some back alley black market deal.”  I frowned right back at her and said, “What did you want me to do?  Leave my father’s legacy to be pawned off to a random collector?”  Mom hung her head sadly and said, “No … but please be careful.  And come to me next time.  But thank you.  This … means a lot.”  I smiled and put a hand on her shoulder before walking back to my room and turning to say, “Good night mom.”  After the father I had never gotten to know died, mom moved her room across the corridor to where he had slept.  She said that she felt closer to him there when I asked her about it.  I slept in the room where Ezra Bridger and Uncle Zeb had once bunked.  A silly painting of the two remained on one of the walls.  My room was sparsely furnished.  Aside from the bed, I had a small desk piled with a variety of datafiles about the old Jedi Order, galactic history, and philosophy, among other topics.  I also had a wood carving of a Lothwolf that I had crafted on a trip to Lothal placed on a small alcove beside the shards of father’s old holocron.  Aunt Sabine had tutored me in art and sculpture whenever we visited her.

Chopper rolled into my room and beeped out an irate message.  I replied, “Yes, that’s why I was out.  And no, if I brought a droid my contact would have been suspicious.”  The droid ground out an annoyed reply and I chuckled saying, “Fine buddy.  I’ll take you on my next adventure.  I just hope you understand why I had to do this alone.”  The droid beeped out a reluctant affirmation and rolled out the door.  I had been told that the droid treated me kinder than most others.  That was a frightening thought.  Another frightening thought was the nature of the vision I had seen.  I hadn’t allowed myself to think on that yet.  I had always known there was a chance I was Force sensitive like my father.  I had faster than normal reflexes that helped my piloting.  And I could move with great speed.  However, I was always able to write those off as the result of my Twi’Lek physiology.  Twi’Lek’s were generally a more physically adept species with greater strength and agility.  They had a long history as warriors and hunters on their planet before the modern era.  Xenobiologists believed that even the lekku factored into this.  The head tails that caused many xenophobes to brand Twi’Leks as ‘tail heads’ were quite sensitive.  On numerous missions, mom had complained when she bumped the tails against something.  It was even hypothesized that these lekku allowed a low level of sixth sense with Twi’Leks able to feel if there was someone behind them.  It was very difficult to sneak up on a Twi’Lek.  But that vision couldn’t be explained away with biology.  I’ve only read accounts of Force sensitives experiencing what I had.

I closed my eyes and sat cross legged on my bunk.  I reached out my mind trying to feel everything about my surroundings.  I knew a bit about Jedi meditation techniques from my research and teachings from the Church of the Force that mom and I would frequent on Lothal.  I had trouble at first clearing my mind, but I focused on my breathing and the slight whirr of the ship’s power.  _I could see Chopper rolling through the halls.  I could see mom on her bed cradling the saber in her hands with tears on her cheeks.  I could hear her say, “Love, you deserved the chance to meet your son.”  I could sense the dock workers outside and the mynocks nesting in the ducts of the hangar.  I visualized the tree that the lothwolf carving had come from.  The Kyber within the blade sang its whistling song._ _It was all connected.  All living things._ I opened my eyes cutting the meditation short and looked down in awe and not a small amount of fear.  Force sensitivity was a dangerous gift to have.  And if that broker was right, there were bounties on people like me.  I went to sleep that night uneasily and looked forward to our departure from Corellia

The next morning, I walked into the cockpit and saw my mother there at the controls flying us out of the docking bay and into Corellia’s bustling sky.  I sat in the co-pilot’s chair and said to her, “Where to next?  Political stop or raiding a slaver ship?”  She chuckled and said, “Have our lives become that routine?”  I shrugged by way of an answer.  As we zoomed out of Corellia’s atmosphere and saw the stars stretch out before us on our jump to hyperspace, mom said, “I want you to have your father’s lightsaber.”  I raised my eyebrow and said, “It was a gift to you.”  She smiled and replied, “And it made me happy to see the weapon again, but he’d want you to have it.  The power he had … I see it in you too.”  I paused for a moment.  She had evidently figured out my sensitivity to the Force faster than I had.  I decided it was time to come clean about the finer details of my search for the lightsaber and the fateful meeting in a Corellian cantina.  She listened intently and frowned when I told her about the bounty on Jedi.  She then said, “I know Luke Skywalker has an Academy where he teaches Jedi … do you want to go?”  I saw pain in her eyes as she said that.  She didn’t want me to go away but was willing to let me go if it was what was best for me.  I shook my head and said, “No.  I need to find my own path.”  I had heard about Skywalker’s Temple where he had a few dozen students learning the ways of the Force as he tried to rebuild the Jedi Order.  I wished him the best but had little interest in joining the Jedi myself.  Mom nodded while trying to not look relieved.  She then said, “I may know some people who can help.”

We were soon landing on Lothal and met our allies on the runway.  Aunt Sabine wore her blue and yellow armor with her helmet off revealing bright yellow hair.  I ran down the ramp and gave her a hug.  She laughed and said warmly, “I missed you too kid.”  Next to her stood an elderly Togruta wearing white robes, and a dark-haired man with a full beard that I recognized from old pictures as an aged Ezra Bridger.  I had never met the man before.  He was a recluse who spent his time with the Togruta Master, travelling the galaxy and learning the ways of the Force.  But he bowed his head to me and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you Jacen.  Your father was my Master.  And a great man.  He saved my life on more occasions than I can count.  And he is the reason this planet is free today.”  I bowed my head to him as well and smiled sadly saying, “I wish I got to know him.”  The Togruta smiled at me and said kindly, “Hello Jacen Syndulla.  I am Ahsoka Tano.  And if you wish to learn the ways of the Force, I would be proud to be your Master.”  I nodded and said eagerly, “I want to learn.”  We all walked up the gangplank of the Ghost onto the ship.  We sat down in the common area.  Mom said to Aunt Sabine, “You’re coming too?  You tend to stay on Lothal or Krownest.”  Sabine grinned and said, “I can’t pass up a chance to travel on the old ship with our crew again.”  She looked fondly at Ezra who smiled back at her.  I could tell that those two had a history.  Ahsoka said to mom, “May we use the hold of the ship for training?”  She nodded and Ahsoka motioned for me to follow her.


	4. Chapter 3 - Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

When we stood in the hold of the ship I asked curiously, “What was my father like?”  Ahsoka smiled sadly and said, “He was a few years younger than me, so we didn’t have the same classes in the Temple.  Your mother knew him as Kanan Jarrus, but at the time of his Jedi training he was named Caleb Dume.  When Master Bilaba took him on as a Padawan, I heard Master Kenobi talk about how inquisitive he was.  I wouldn’t meet him again until he was Kanan Jarrus fighting alongside your mother.  He was one of the bravest Knights I have ever known.  Selfless.  Compassionate.  Funny too.”  I closed my eyes at her words and pictured my father from holoimages my mother had.  Ahsoka then said, “I see you have your father’s lightsaber.  Have you ever used it?”  I shook my head no and replied, “I ignited it once to scare off a few thugs, but that’s the extent of my knowledge.”  She then continued saying, “Ignite the blade.”  I did as she asked and watched as a thin beam of brilliant blue light sprung forth into the air.  I saw her ignite two white blades of her own.  She said, “Can you feel the crystal in the blade?”  I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind.  I heard the ethereal whistling song that came from the blade before.  I nodded my head and said, “I hear it … like a song.”  She said to me, “I have my sabers set to their non-lethal setting.  Keep your eyes closed, I will come at you.  Be mindful of your surroundings.  And the song of the Kyber will guide you.”  I broadened my stance and held my saber tightly with both hands.  A sound to the right of me.  Supply crates falling.  I turned in that direction with my blade.  I reached out to try and sense what was in front of me.  The picture was fuzzy.  I smelled the ozone of a blade coming at me from the left.  It was only then that I realized my mistake.  I felt the shock race through my arm.  Ahsoka said, “Sight, sound, smell.  All can be manipulated.  They can be important for gathering information, but it must always be taken with a grain of salt.  Don’t think.  Feel.”  I nodded with my eyes still closed.  I ripped a small strip of cloth from the old tunic I was dueling in and wrapped it securely around my eyes.  An object came flying towards me.  I lifted my blade at the last instant and sliced the crate in half.  Piles of grain fell on top of me, but I quickly regained my footing.  Echoes seemed to come from all directions, “Where am I?”  I leapt in the direction I thought the sound might be coming from and felt my face slam painfully against a durasteel wall.  I heard a small chuckle from Ahsoka.

We went at it like this for a couple of hours in a game of cat and mouse.  Every few minutes she would throw something in my direction or shock me with her blades.  But the silence was worse.  I felt fear.  She addressed that and said, “I sense your fear.  Don’t give into it.  Take a deep breath gathering up all your fears and release them as you breath out.”  I did as she suggested and let my mind become clear.  I was able to sense my surroundings to some extent.  She had sounded as though she was on the opposite side of the room, but she was beside me with her blades poised to shock me.  I smiled and lashed out with my blade scoring a hit against her lightsaber.  I sensed a bit of surprise erupt from Ahsoka.  However, my victory was short lived.  I may have been able to sense her location accurately when she stood still next to me, but she was fast, coming from every direction at various times.  I only blocked a few of her attacks over the next hour, and I could admit to myself that this was probably the result of chance.  Breathing heavily and with numerous shock marks on my body Ahsoka said, “That’s enough for today.  I’m impressed.”  I snorted in disbelief and said as I took off my blindfold, “You trounced me.”  Ahsoka nodded but said, “This is your first time wielding a blade.  I’ve carried a lightsaber since I was a youngling during the Clone Wars.  You were able to clear your mind of fear and didn’t let your frustration turn to anger.  You showed remarkable patience.”  I smiled and tried to keep the pride from my face.

Walking out of the hold, I found mom, Sabine and Ezra watching the old holo-message of father saying farewell.  Mom always watched it on the anniversary of his death.  He wore his hair back in a ponytail and had a beard.  His eyes were scarred and blinded.  He said, “Hera, I have a bad feeling about this mission.  I fear that I may not be able to say what I’m about to say to you in person.  If I don’t come back, I know you.  You’ll feel responsible.  Don’t.  I made my choices in life.  You didn’t pull me into this rebellion.  You saved me from myself.  Made me … me again.  I was dragging around a corpse, a husk of my former self on Gorse.  You reminded me of what I was and gave me the best years of my life.  Each moment with you … I wish I could relive them all.  I love you.  Now and forever.  We will see each other again in this world, or the next.  Just … stay safe.  That will be enough.  Ezra, I’m so proud of you.  You are the best apprentice I could ask for.  I sense an important destiny laid out before you.  I know that you too will blame yourself should the worst happen.  You need to remember that the Force has a Will of its own.  Just heed your lessons.  They will guide you.  Sabine, you are the most creative person I know.  The wars ahead will take resolve.  It might harden some, but I hope it doesn’t crush that spark within you.  I just want you to know that I am proud of the strong young woman you have blossomed into.  Zeb, you’ve been my brother in arms.  And a good friend.  Remember that your heart rather than your fists, is your greatest strength.  Chop … take care of Hera.  That’s not a request that’s an order.  Play this for them when the time is right.  I lost my first family when the Jedi Order fell.  I have a family again.  You all are my family.  I’m probably just being overly cautious.  When we all come back from this mission, I’ll tell all of you this myself.  Signing off …”  That was the end.  There were tears in my eyes.  I saw them also in the eyes of all those who watched.  Chop growled out a sad beep and I patted him on the dome.

The next day I met Ahsoka in the hold again as the Ghost zoomed through space.  I groaned feeling the stinging bruises from the previous day and asked, “More sparring?”  She chuckled and replied, “Not today.  Today, I just want you to breath.”  I rose my eyebrow curiously and said with a slight laugh, “Breath?  Don’t I do that every day?”  She nodded but answered, “Yes.  And yet you don’t concentrate on it.  If you know your breath, it will help you in ways you cannot imagine.  It will clear your mind.  In battle.  Simply when you have to think.  In meditation, it is an anchoring point to focus on.”  I sat cross legged on the floor as she did.  I breathed in and out steadily.  Each breath was thoughtful and measured.  I wasn’t sure when it happened, but I jolted awake to see Ahsoka’s grinning face looking down on me.  She said laughing, “My first breathing exercise ended with me falling asleep as well.  It can get a bit boring.  But it is vital.”  I nodded and rubbed the back of my neck sitting back up.  I tried again and managed to not fall asleep just focusing on breath control.  Sitting almost perfectly still for hours made my joints creak in protest when I finally stood up.  Ahsoka said finally, “We’re done for the day.”  I bowed my head to her and walked out of the hold.  Sabine and Ezra sat in the common area just talking.  I heard Sabine say with a laugh, “Remember Zeb’s face when Chop weakened the bed supports and made you fall on him?”  Ezra chuckled and replied, “I’ve missed him.  A few years back, Ahsoka and I visited Lira San.  I was able to see him for a short time, but his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard keep him busy.”  I walked past them towards the cockpit and sat down next to mom.  I said curiously, “Where are we headed?”  She smiled slightly and replied, “Ahsoka said that there is an old Jedi archive with untouched caches of historical texts on Ossus.”  I nodded at her words and said warily, “If there is a bounty on Jedi, we need to be careful.”  She said a bit casually, “We can handle a few wannabe bounty hunters.”  There was an edge of nerves in her voice however.

The next few days, Ahsoka taught me the basic moves of the various saber forms and explained the aspects of Jedi philosophy and the Code.  She was surprised and pleased that I had already studied such matters in depth.  She said that she had left the Order before the end of the Clone Wars and did not regret her choice.  She continued, “I was devoted to the Jedi, but by the end of the Clone Wars, we were a corrupted organization.  Manipulated with a hidden rot eating us from the inside.  My time in Exile and with the Rebellion showed me that the world wasn’t as black and white as the Jedi preach.  Your father learned from a spirit on Atollon named Bendu.  He was the embodiment of the balance within the Force.”  I nodded having learned this in the Church of the Force.  I replied, “And the Ashla and Bogan represent the Light and Dark.”  She nodded and called a small yellow and green Convor that I never noticed boarding the ship to her shoulder.  She said, “This is Ashla.  She is the Daughter and sacrificed her life to save mine.”  My eyes widened and said in wonder, “She … is the Light?”  Ahsoka nodded and said while petting the bird, “She has been my companion ever since.  A good friend and guardian.  And following her guidance does not always mean following the ways of the Jedi.”  I said curiously, “Then what code do we follow if not the Jedi Code?”  Ahsoka smiled and answered, “Ezra and I have been travelling the Galaxy, ever since his sojourn in the Unknown Regions, looking for lost Jedi lore and Force traditions on dozens of obscure worlds.  We have created several tenets that we have agreed to follow, but this is merely a guideline more than anything else: Righteousness, Courage, Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Honor, Duty, Restraint, Wisdom.  We are righteous in our dealings and do not abuse our power for personal gain.  We are courageous going into battle without fear knowing that all life is preserved after death in the Force.  We are compassionate and aid our fellow lifeforms, helping the helpless and defending the defenseless.  We respect the dignity of our fellow lifeforms and are never cruel.  We have integrity and keep our word.  We have honor.  It is an over used term, but all it truly means is that we are able to look at ourselves in the mirror and know that we have done right in our eyes.  We have a duty to the galaxy and all in it to serve as its shield.  We do not use force against the innocent, and when it is possible, we seek peaceful resolutions through our restraint.  We think through our actions in reflection and learn from each experience in pursuit of wisdom.  We are not Knights.  We are Paladins.”

We landed on the arid surface of Ossus not long after.  I had to put on head coverings and pull them over my mouth and nose, along with wearing goggles to protect against the desert’s swirling sands.  Ahsoka and Ezra wore similar garb as they walked with me towards the Temple.  It was nestled within a small canyon and its entrance was flanked by two large statues of what appeared to be saber wielding Knights.  However, the features were not discernible as erosion had done its work well.  A sheer rock face stood between the two figures with no obvious entrance.  Ahsoka said over the howling winds, “This Temple won’t open without the Force.  Concentrate Jacen.”  I did as she asked and tried to focus my mind on the Light as she had so often taught me.  I concentrated on my breath and opened my eyes to see the wall had risen to show a small doorway.  The three of us walked within the cool dark space as the door closed behind us.  I ignited my blue saber.  Ahsoka and Ezra each ignited white sabers of their own illuminating the space.  Beautifully carved columns reached far upwards and downwards in this immense chamber.  Floors upon floors containing ancient tomes and texts stood within the Temple.  Ezra said in amazement, “Many scholars dismiss the Great Library of Ossus to be a myth.”  Ahsoka nodded with a small smile and said, “The Ancient Jedi built an awe-inspiring repository of their knowledge.  Its exact location on the planet was lost during one of the many wars between the Jedi and the Sith, and the Order slowly forgot.  We have some reading to do.

Months of rigorous research and training followed.  We found fascinating texts on the Hundred Year Darkness about a group of Jedi Exiles who had formed a short-lived Order to rival the Jedi.  Many lost philosophies and mysteries of the Force were laid bare for the three of us.  I became a practitioner of the Djem So form of saber combat under Ahsoka and Ezra’s tutelage.  By my twenty-eighth year, I was ready to put my training to the test in the galaxy at large, and leave the safety of Ossus with my mother on the Ghost. Master Tano and Master Bridger watched from the entrance of the Temple and waved as I departed.


	5. Chapter 4 - Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I sat at a state dinner in the Twi’Lek capitol city of Lessu.  Sabine and Ezra had travelled to Lothal for a time, and Ahsoka had gone to find some ‘like-minded allies’ as she described them, to bring to Ossus where we were forming a new Temple.  As an important military figure, mom sat near the head of the table with Ryloth’s leaders.  Mom tried to insist that I be allowed to sit near her, but she was lucky to get me an invitation at all.  A half-breed like myself had very little standing in society.  Even the saber holstered at my hip brought only a modicum of respect.  I sat at the bottom of the table with various pariahs who had little political clout.  Currently, I was debating trade policy with a young female Twi’Lek only a few years older than myself.  She was a Centrist and favored closer ties with the New Republic.  I sighed in annoyance at her argument and countered, “Any trade agreements we sign with the New Republic will heavily favor the core worlds, and drive Ryloth’s industries and jobs away.  That kind of economic devastation has happened to many other outer rim worlds like ours.”  She snorted derisively and replied, “You Populists are living in the past and are preventing Ryloth from moving into the future.  We live in a united galaxy.  Trade agreements will bring cheaper goods and foreign investment to Ryloth, not mention improving relations with the New Republic and paving the way for admittance into the Senate.”  I gritted my teeth a bit and said, “My mother fought to restore the Republic.  But the bureaucrats just recreated the den of vipers that existed before the war.  Our planet has been occupied by the Separatists, the Republic, and the Empire.  What if the New Republic is next?”  Before the debate could get out of hand, the dessert course was served.  Delicious sweets tended to have the effect of bringing people together, in my experience.

I suddenly sensed that something was wrong and stood up breaching numerous bits of decorum.  I ran towards my mother.  Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and it felt as though I were running in place.  A blast tore through a side pillar of the room and threw me against the wall amidst a deafening explosion.  Bodies littered the floor and I saw the prone form of the woman I had been debating.  I ran over to her and felt that she had no pulse.  I cursed in sadness and anger.  Reaching out, I sensed that my mother was alive.  I ran over to where she had been and found her ripping strips of fabric from her dress to use as tourniquets for the wounded.  Through the breach in the wall walked warriors from a variety of races.  I sensed their evil intent and ignited my blue blade as they advanced.  They paused at the sight of my weapon but charged nonetheless.

Darkness pulsed from their armor and weapons.  Block.  Block.  Block.  Counter.  The next few minutes were a furious melee as I employed my Djem So teachings, blocking attacks and responding with strong counters.  This was made all the more difficult as I constantly ensured that I stood between the surviving Twi’Leks in the room and the attacking warriors.  After the flurry of battle wore off, I stood over the prone forms of the dead attackers.  Soldiers were rushing inside, but I was paying attention to the corpses of the dark warriors.  None of them had wielded a lightsaber or used the Force during the battle, but I surely felt the Bogan flowing from them.  Their armor and weapons looked … ancient.  Dark artifacts.  These warriors were acolytes.  Disciples of the darkness.  I picked up one of their swords and heard a furious shout in my mind telling me to make my enemies scream.  I threw it down, picking up a helmet only to hear whispers that I could accomplish all of my greatest desires and secret dreams if I just gave in.  If I just embraced the Dark Side.  I traveled from warrior to warrior stripping them of their weapons and armor.  I then used my saber over and over again to hack away at every piece until they broke.  Destroying the dark whispers inside.

I ran over to my mother and said resolutely, “It’s time to go.”  She was about to disagree with me but nodded reluctantly after she saw the look in my eyes.  Numerous government leaders and dignitaries were fleeing the area as security and medical personnel entered to secure the building and aid the wounded.  I pulled mom along at a fast pace until we reached the docked Ghost and were aboard the ship.  She sat down tiredly on a couch and said in bewilderment, “Those people need us Jacen.  We can’t just leave.”  I closed my eyes in thought and said, “Mom … I sensed a darkness at work.  Those warriors must have been followers of the Sith.”  Her eyes shot open in shock and she said, “The Sith were wiped out over Endor.  They can’t have returned …” But there was doubt in her voice.  I said resolutely, “Send a message to Ezra and Sabine.  Tell them to contact Ahsoka and meet us on Ossus.”

During the trip to Ossus, I poured through dozens of datafiles and analyzed bits of news cobbled together from the holonet.  A group of Dark Side worshippers had made a series of calculated strikes across the New Republic during its early days.  Little was known about the group besides whispers and bits of old graffiti.  But I knew from my Aunt Sabine that art was important.  It was an expression of culture, philosophy, and ideology.  And it informed these qualities of those who created it.  _The art was crude with simple sketches of Vader’s mask and quotes such as ‘Vader Lives’ plastered under them.  Imperial sympathizers?  Too crude for the refined and posh collaborators of the Imperial regimes, although they may have funded and supported such groups.  No … these were young people.  Mostly teens and young adults based on the symbolism used and the simple geometric shapes.  Idealistic and feeling powerless as the Empire they loved was destroyed before their very eyes._   Looking back, I realized that many of the faces of the warriors I battled had been older.  _They were the same group_.  Early bits of vandalism escalated to full scale war as the group which dubbed themselves, the Acolytes of the Beyond began attacking New Republic military outposts, police stations, and government complexes.  Nobody knew their goals for certain.  None had allowed themselves to be captured alive.  _Somehow, they had gotten their hands onto Sith relics and they had targeted my home planet … or were they targeting me?  Was the attack my fault?_

For the rest of that night, I secluded myself in meditation trying to come to terms with the deaths I had felt.  The screams of the wounded still echoed in my mind.  I was unable to find any peace, and eventually managed to lose myself by focusing on my breathing as Ahsoka had taught me.  I concentrated on nothing except for breathing in and out.  It didn’t help however, that Chopper continued banging around in the engine area of the ship doing maintenance.  Ultimately, sleep and peace eluded me.  I would only feel better when the innocents of Ryloth had been avenged, and when I had answers for who these shadowy figures were and what they sought to accomplish.  I could only hope that Ezra and Ahsoka would have answers.


	6. Chapter 5 - Paladins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is still incomplete and I may be editing previous chapters from time to time and changing small aspects of the story. I will make a note of when the story has been finalized.

As the Ghost zoomed through the atmosphere of Ossus, I observed the swirling sandstorms that obscured much of the planet.  Mom said to me as she piloted the ship, “I’m sorry that you are having to deal with all of this.  I never gave you the chance to just be a kid.  You’ve had to grow up so quickly.”  I placed a hand on her shoulder and replied adamantly, “You were the best mother I could have asked for.  For the early years of my life, you made sure I was protected while you fought a war to free the galaxy and make a better future.  After that I had a wonderful childhood travelling with you.  I’ve seen more of the galaxy than most will see in their entire lifetime.  You taught me right from wrong.  How to fly and fire a blaster.  How to be a good man.”  She smiled a bit at that and said with a tear rolling down her cheek, “Thank you, Jace.”  The ship glided inexorably downwards towards the small canyon where the Temple was hidden.  Before leaving the cockpit, I said to my mother, “Mom, Ryloth needs its Admiral after this attack … and it is too dangerous for you to be around me right now.”  She began to protest saying, “Jacen!  I’m not going anyw-”  I looked at her resolutely and replied, “Mom … please.”  Reluctantly, she nodded and said, “Take Chopper with you.  He’s good to have in a jam.”  I placed a kiss on her cheek and said with a bittersweet smile, “I love you mom.  And I’ll see you soon.  I promise.”  As I turned to leave she said tearfully, “May the Force be with you.  Always.”  I walked down the gang plank followed by Chopper who was miserably growling about sand getting lodged in his motivators.

Walking up to the Temple, I reached out with my hand and lifted the stone barrier by calling upon the Force.  The chamber inside was lit by the azure light of my ignited blade.  I went from alcove to alcove, dipping my blade into holders carrying oil.  We had refilled the sconces that had long sat dormant when we had previously inhabited the Ossus Library.  The orange glow of fires made the space feel less like a tomb.  While I waited for Ahsoka and Ezra to arrive, I began to explore the Temple.  Most of my months here had been spent in the Library.  Much of the rest of the Temple was blocked off by cave ins or felt haunted by old ghosts.  As I walked through the dank corridors, I winced seeing skeletons belonging to dozens of species.  The fallen bodies of long dead Jedi.  I found few lightsabers.  They had almost certainly been looted by the very people that sacked this Temple.  Only a few remained, but they ignited for only an instant and then fizzled out when I tried to ignite them.  The Kybers within these blades deserved a better fate than being locked away in dead weapons, so I removed the crystals from each saber I found.  Each was deposited in a nerf leather pouch at my belt until I could find a purpose for them.  Ahsoka had taught me to listen.  Not just to my breath or my surroundings.  But to the Force.  And I felt called by … something in this place.  I walked through a room that once held lush plants and fountains.  All that remained was dust and death.  I walked through dormitories and classrooms.  I finally found a structure that looked to be the Grand Council chambers.  This was the epicenter of the call I heard.  Yet as I stood here there was nothing and no one.  The call ceased, and I shouted out in confusion, “Who are you?!  Why have you brought me here?!”  _Jacen …_ It was a shivering whisper that travelled down my spine.  I turned and saw a figure that was hazy.  It was the young Twi’Lek Centrist I had debated at the dinner.  She said in despair, _Why didn’t you save me Jacen?_   A lump formed in my throat and I tried to form the words, _I tried_ , but no sound exited from my mouth.  Her face transformed into the obscured view of a woman with pink skin.  She whispered, _Find me._

I jolted into consciousness on the floor of the Council Chambers.  I blearily wiped away the drool and dust that had pooled together on my mouth.  The visions were gone.  But I had more questions than answers.  I heard a familiar voice behind me say, “Hello Jacen.  Did you have a restful nap?”  I turned with a grin and saw the chuckling face of Master Tano.  I bowed my head to her and said in a bit more serious tone, “Master … I just had visions and lost consciousness here.”  I related what I had seen to her and she replied sympathetically, “Visions from the Force are often misleading.  The death of that woman was not your fault.  You slew the only ones who are to blame.  And that other woman might be someone you shall meet.  Only time will tell.  But now it’s time to meet the others.”  We walked through the trail of desolate corridors and exited on a mid-level tier of the Great Library.  Before us stood Ezra and Aunt Sabine and to my great shock Uncle Rex, as well as two dozen individuals I did not recognize.

I hugged the aging clone and said, “It’s good to see you.  It’s been too long.”  He grinned and replied, “You look good kid.  This whole, Jedi business agrees with you.”  Ahsoka said to me, “These are your fellow Paladins, as well as a few friends to our Order that Ezra and I have cultivated over the years.  This is Hondo.”  An old Weequay with a metal peg where he left leg should have been said jovially, “Hello young Jed- Oh I suppose we’re calling you Paladins now.  Well no matter.  Hondo is at your service.”  Ahsoka interjected and explained my unspoken question by saying, “Hondo is a … creative exporter of goods.  He can keep us well supplied here.”  She then moved past Hondo to the individuals in his crew.  They were a Tholothian, a Rodian, and a Nautolan.  She said, these are “Katooni, Ganodi and Zatt.”  The Tholothian, a near human species, bowed to me and said, “I was a padawan during the Clone Wars.  I hid for a long time before joining Hondo.  Now I’m ready to use the Force for good again.”  The female Rodian bowed as well and said, “My tale is similar to Katooni’s as is Zatt’s, and we are ready to join Ahsoka and yourself, in your fight against Darkness in the galaxy.”  Ahsoka moved on introducing many of the others.  Many were old men and women from numerous different species.  Survivors of Order Sixty-six, who were ready after all these years, to fight.  Some were young adults and even children who had agreed to train with the new Order we were forming.  I was happy to see this new Order taking shape.  I could only hope that it would avoid the cycle of destruction that the Jedi had enabled in the past by seeking to purge rather than balance emotions.

The sconces of the Temple were now filled with the glowing Kyber crystals I had found.  They provided an otherworldly beauty to the Library.  Bathed in this light, Ezra, Aunt Sabine, Ahsoka, and I all met and discussed the threat.  Sabine studied the artwork curiously and said, “Interesting … very utilitarian style.  Definitely Imperial sympathizers.  You were right to hypothesize that they were young at the time.  This type of synth paint is used primarily in the Core worlds.”  Ezra shook his head sadly and replied, “The Core has many Imperial sympathizers to this day.  Even at the highest levels of government.”  I closed my eyes and said resolutely, “If the threat is in the Core, then I’m going to the Core.”  Ahsoka bowed her head to me and replied, “If you feel that is where you path is leading you, then that is where you must go.  Just remember my student, you always have a home here when your journeys are complete.”  I bowed to her as well.  I began to walk towards the entrance of the Temple, but my Master called and said, “Jacen wait.  Kneel.”  I turned and did as she asked.  When I lifted my head, I saw a semi-circle of my fellows holding their white lightsabers in the air.  In the center was Master Tano.  She brought her blade over each of my shoulders and said proudly, “By the Rites of the Order.  By the Will of the Force.  I name you, Paladin, sword of the righteous.”


	7. Chapter 6 - Mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I boarded a battered old T65 X-Wing.  Through Ahsoka’s connections to old rebel cells, she had managed to procure a squadron of the antiquated fights to serve as transports for the Order.  In a fight against modern fighters, the T65 would be no match in terms of shielding or fire power, but in the hands of a good pilot they could still pack a punch.  And my mother made sure that I grew up to be an excellent pilot.  More importantly though, was the hyperdrive that rested within the T65s.  It always made rebel fighter squadrons more mobile than their TIE counterparts during the Galactic Civil War.  Now it would allow me effective transportation from the fringes of the galaxy towards the Core.  Chopper used his repulsor engine to lift himself off the ground and land in the astromech compartment of the vessel.  He muttered something about being glad to get off this dust ball.  I chuckled at that and replied through the cockpit intercom, “Don’t worry Chop.  I’m sure you’ll have a grand time where we’re going.”  The vessel lifted off the canyon floor, flew through Ossus’s atmosphere, and sliced through the stars into hyperspace.  I only had one lead.  The synth paint that Sabine had identified.  A quick holonet search indicated that it was QorWorks.  A now defunct corporation that had close ties with the Imperial Regime.  They had the monopoly for all production of Imperial ink and paint.  The company’s former headquarters and the current residence of its CEO both sat on a steadfastly Imperial world.  Carida.  The planet was home to one of the Empire’s premier training academies, only behind the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant in quality.  The perfect place to breed malcontent Imperials.

Carida shone beautifully below me with temperate green grasslands and opalescent oceans.  I decided to put my fighter through its paces, for a moment I grinned and allowed myself to remember happier days.  When my mother had first taught me to fly nearly twenty years ago.  The engine of this fighter was more sluggish than the fully upgraded Ghost.  But I still made it spin and bank through the serene skies of this garden world on the way towards Carida City.  The capitol of the planet was ruled by a Council of Merchants.  And the esteemed Councilor Xendron was exactly the man I wanted to speak with.

I landed the fighter directly on Xendron’s landing pad, favoring shock rather than surprise in dealing with this particular corporate titan.  The fall of QorWorks should have financially ruined the man.  Many of the assets were to be seized by the government of the New Republic.  But he had friends in high places and many of those assets mysteriously disappeared.  Suddenly the man had a diversified portfolio over dozens of industries and one of the most powerful members of the Council.  I scowled in anger, which I balanced with a calming breath, at seeing this treacherous snake reaping rewards off of his wicked alliances while my father died fighting to protect freedom in the galaxy.

Guards wearing white armor that looked suspiciously similar to that of the former Imperials marched towards me.  The man at their head wearing the black uniform of an officer said authoritatively, “What is the meaning of your trespass, _alien_.”  I grinned realizing that the man was observant and had noticed my light green skin tone that could be mistaken for a pale or sickly appearance in the light of the sun.  An anti-alien bigot as well.  That was common among the Imperials and was prevalent within the Core in general.  I patted the saber at my hip and lied, replying, “I am a Jedi Knight and seek a word with your Master on behalf of Jedi Master Luke Skwalker.”  Troopers gulped and place wary hands on their blasters, but after a tense silence the officer replied, “Come with me, _Jedi_.” 

I walked along behind the troop, always slowing my steps when they tried to slow themselves down to position on my flank.  The receiving hall was far larger than those of many royal palaces I had visited on mom’s political junkets.  And on an aurodium throne sat the man I wished to speak with.  I bowed my head to the wizened corporate giant and said with false deference, “My Master has nothing but the highest respect for you, my Lord and wishes to secure an … alliance of sorts.”  The man on his raised throne scowled and replied, “What makes you think I have any respect for Skywalker, boy?”  I grinned and answered, “I believe you respect strength, and my Master is the strongest Force user in the galaxy.  A certain understanding between the two of you could be quite profitable for all involved and secure a great deal of power within the New Republic government.”  He scoffed at that and quipped, “I’ve never known a Jedi to care about profit.  And I already have … many friends in the government.”  I smiled at his words and said bitingly, “Oh, we know of your many friends.  Such a man as yourself can be a good friend and a dangerous enemy.  My Master sees your goals aligned with preserving the galactic peace and creating a more ordered galaxy.  That has always been the goal of the Jedi.”  He paused considering my words and finally declared, “I shall consider your offer.  In the meantime, you shall be an honored, and well-guarded guest.”  Everything was going according to plan.

They tried to take my saber.  At my chambers I quickly said to the guards, “You don’t need to take my lightsaber.  But you will tell your Lord that you have.”  They all said, “We don’t need to take your lightsaber.  And we will tell our Lord that we have.”  I waved my hand again and continue, “You don’t need to guard my door.  I am a model prisoner and will remain here.”  They repeated that as well.  Chop beeped out a little series of grunts that boiled down to, took you long enough, as we snuck down the halls.  At a dataport, I had Chopper break through levels of advanced encryption.  The information I was looking for, was embedded in old metadata.  Paint shipments after the destruction of the Second Death Star, that were sent to one location and one location alone.  The Coruscant Industrial District.  But the data went on from there.  His patrons in the government remained and one very prominent individual was the planetary governor of Coruscant itself.

Walking through the halls, I was met at the exit of the estate by Xendron and his guards.  He sneered and exclaimed, “Going somewhere Jedi?”  I grinned and replied humorously, “I can’t say I enjoyed your hospitality Councilor.  Will you be allowing me to leave?”  He shook his head menacingly.  I sighed and ignited my blue blade.  Enemy blaster fire from twenty blasters peppered the air where I had been standing.  I dodged to the side and jumped upwards, twisting my body to avoid the oncoming blasts.  My blue blade was in constant motion redirecting the bolts back at the guards.  One struck Xendron in the chest, killing him instantly.  After he fell, his men fought with an increased ferocity that was abnormal for hired security.  These were true believers.  I leapt amongst them and slashed down the neo-Imperials in droves.  When the battle was over, only Chopper and I were still standing.  I calmly exited the estates and boarded my X-Wing with one goal in mind.  Coruscant.


	8. Chapter 7 - Charms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

Coruscant, aside from the beautiful upper city was nothing to write home about.  I paid outrageous docking fees for such an out of the way spaceport and rented a small apartment on level 1316.  The spotty holonet access I received so far below, described a galaxy in a chaotic tumult.  The Centrists and the Populists waged fierce wars of words and policy in the ineffectual Galactic Senate.  The Courts were so backlogged that they were still hearing cases on the atrocities of Imperial war criminals … some of whom had passed away of old age.  Hand-picked crime syndicates that had been cultivated and allowed to flourish under the Empire were being stripped away in the New Republic’s war against organized crime.  But it was all a front.  Dozens of new syndicates had risen up to replace the old, and Centrists waving the flags of law and order were able to cultivate new alliances with the underworld.  Similarly, Corporations that had been granted monopolies by the Empire had been broken apart, but new monopolies and oligopolies were formed under the United Banking Houses, the Techno-Industries Guild, MineCo, the Trans-Galactic Trade Confederation, InfoCor, and BlasTech Industries among dozens of others.  Terrorist attacks by extremist groups were on the rise, but it was hard to know which were real.  The attack by these Acolytes of the Beyond on Ryloth was cited as a terrorist attack.  The Populists blamed the Centrists, and the Centrists blamed the Populists.  The news was depressing.

I walked the teeming streets of Coruscant’s lower levels seeing the suffering millions … no billions of sentient beings.  My head ached as I tried to drown out the influx of life forms flooding my senses.  There were spice deals occurring on every corner and courtesans of a dozen different species and genders hawked their wares.  I politely declined their advances to receive a great deal of cursing for my efforts.  Destitute pan handlers sat on the cracked duracrete streets covered in refuse.  I saw a small cluster of Twi’Leks and gave them a few credits receiving grateful glances and exclamations from them.  Suddenly, a woman across the crowd caught my attention.  Her pinkish-red skin was illuminated by equally red neon billboards in the dark light of night.  Our eyes met, and my breath was taken away.  I felt like I had seen her before and was about to try to reach her when she was swallowed up by the crowd, disappearing in an instant.  There was a local cantina nearby that I decided to make my way towards.  These mysterious forces of darkness had connections to the Coruscanti Centrists and the Industrial District.  Coruscant was the logical destination for fact finding.  I wondered how my mother and the Paladins were doing.  This journey I was going on … I couldn’t take them along.  It was dangerous, and I was only willing to risk myself on this wild bantha chase.

Behind the bar was an overworked Balosar who told me to wait a minute before taking my order.  When he finally got to me I said politely, “A Corellian Brandy.”  The mystery woman graceful slid into the bar stool beside me and said in a smooth voice, “That sounds good.  One for me too.”  I pushed enough credits towards the bar tender for the two drinks and said with a cocky grin, “The lady’s drink is on me.”  She inclined her head to me and said with a sultry gaze, “Thank you mister.”  She leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Want to get a booth near the back?”  I nodded and grabbed our two drinks before escorting her to one of the dimly lit booths in the disreputable cantina.  After we sidled into the seats she said with a grin, “You know, it’s a shame.  You’re cute.”  I then felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and the flash of a blaster.  I looked up in shock realizing my mistake.  She whispered in my ear, “No worries love.  That shouldn’t be fatal, but the next shot will be if you make any sudden moves.  I thought a Jedi would be immune to my charms.”  I groaned out in pain and recognition of her species.  _Zeltron_.  Their pheromones were known to be able influence those around them and engender good will.  Attraction was another typical reaction.  I felt like an idiot.  I slumped down on the table feeling my vision swim, and asked curiously gasping for breath trying and failing to recall my breathing techniques, “Why … who … working for?”  She shrugged and replied, “I’m a hunter.  I’m not paid to ask questions Jedi.  You’ve been stepping on some powerful toes.  And I’m here to put a stop to that.  One way or another you’re coming back to my employers.  I get paid an additional half to the bounty if I bring you in alive.  So, don’t run.”  She stuck her blaster in my side and escorted me out of the booth and through the cantina.  Nobody had even looked up from their cups at the blaster shot or the hostage situation.  It must have been par for the course in a place such as this.  Outside, a familiar little droid presented an opportunity despite my orders for him to stay inside the room out of sight and guard our possessions.  It bumped into the Zeltron distracting her.  I darted out her reach and into the crowd blending in instantaneously.  But I was trailing green blood behind me at an alarming rate.  I needed a med center and a bacta tank quickly.  Ultimately, it was not meant to be.  I passed out falling face first into the refuse covered street.  The last sight I saw was an annoyed Zeltron looking down at me.  No doubt angry she’d lose out on a lucrative bonus.


	9. Chapter 8 - Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

My eyes shot open and I was inside a glass tube feeling bacta soothing my skin and stitching together the molten pain in my abdomen.  A reddish face stared back at me and watched me throughout the healing process until the tube opened and I fell onto the cold metal floor in a puddle of bacta.  She yanked me up and shoved me ahead of her with a blaster at my back.  My hands were manacled, and I was shuffled along down various identical corridors until we came to a grand doorway.  Two robed figures flanked the doorway with their faces obscured by hoods.  The door slid open slowly and I was shoved inside falling within a stone chamber.  I felt something … familiar.  My saber!  A blue glow erupted before me and I could see a masked figure wielding my weapon.  A female mechanized voice said, “Ah, Paladin Syndulla.  Your little Order has become a thorn in our side these last few weeks.  You’ve been sticking your nose in places where it does not belong.”  I spit on the floor and growled out a reply, “Do your worst Sith scum.  You’ll get nothing from me.”  That mechanized voice laughed as she waked closer to me and said calmly, “We are not Sith.  We are … shadows.  And we serve one far greater than you can comprehend.  My name is Viceroy Kiza and I will be the last thing you’ll ever see.  After you tell me the location of your pitiful little band.”  She held my own blade to my throat and said eagerly, “It will be fitting to kill you with your father’s blade.  Another scream to collect for my mask.”  I heard a throat clear behind me and an annoyed voice say, “Uh, am I getting paid any time soon?”  The masked figure looked behind me and advanced on the bounty hunter with the blade ignited.  She said crisply, “Your reward is death.  No outsider can leave with knowledge of this compound.”  As she prepared to slash the backpedaling Zeltron, I concentrated and felt the Force reach out.  I pulled the blade to my hands slashing open my cuffs.  I then gripped the throat of the masked figure through the Force.  She gurgled out a smug statement, “Good.  Feel that hate.  Use it to serve our Master.”  I narrowed my eyes and slashed through her figure ending the life of this Acolyte of the Beyond.  I turned to see the Zeltron look towards me in fear and say, “Look, this was just a job.”  I leapt towards her, passing her body and deflecting a series of blaster bolts sent in her direction by the door guards.  I threw my blade towards one of the warriors and ran towards the other dodging blasts and twisting in the air.  I pulled the blade back to my hands and swung it at the second guard dispatching him.  The Zeltron stood there gaping at me until I said, “Come on!  Where’s the entrance to this place?!”  She shook her head to get out of her stupor and ran down the halls with me.  We came upon several groups of guards which I battled as we fled.  Finally, we reached a large metal door that had been locked down.  I shouted back to the Zeltron, “Cover me!”  I set to work plunging my saber into the metal and carving an opening for the two of us to escape through.  I distantly heard the sound of weapons fire as I used the Force to launch the metal forwards.  I could see that there were factories and smokestacks outside.  We were in Coruscant’s industrial district.  I looked back and said to the Zeltron, “Go on.  Get out of here!  I have work to do.”  She nodded and ducked out running away into the urban jungle of pipes.

Ahead of me stood a force of warriors wielding swords and blasters.  They fell before me as I swept through the facility destroying this order of Darkness.  I found nothing within the building aside from dormitories, training rooms, and a reliquary.  I felt waves of the Dark Side emanating from the artifacts and grabbed a series of thermal detonators from the fallen warriors, blasting the room into non-existence.  Precious little data could be found within the databanks.  But I found out that this group were indeed the so-called Acolytes of the Beyond and worshiped the spirits of fallen Sith.  They were now serving a shadowy Master who they believed to be a resurrected Dark Lord of the Sith.  _Fanatics_.  I copied the data and deleted the originals, finally leaving the hidden bunker.

The trek through the industrial district was unpleasant.  Dust storms of rust were kicked up by the fierce winds.  I had to wade through hip high rivers of sludge and grease.  By the time I had made it back to the lower levels where my rooms were, I was positively filthy.  I stood under the faucet of the refresher for over two hours relishing the feeling of the stale water pouring over my body.  My old clothes were so beyond hope of recovery that I dumped them in the corner recycling chutes where they would be hauled off to an incinerator.  I had a few clean pairs of clothing in this room that I changed into.  I clutched my lightsaber tightly and closed my eyes.  Fighting like this … it was horrible.  But I had a responsibility.  Being a Paladin meant standing as a shield between innocents and the Darkness.  I spent the rest of that night lying on my cot and reading news on the holonet.  I saw my mother at a press conference.  She wore the uniform of Ryloth's defense fleet and said resolutely, "This cowardly attack on the center of our government shall not be repeated and the perpetrators will be brought to justice!"  I smiled at her holographic image and thought, _You're more right than you know, mom.  I won't let you down_.

The next day I continued my mission as before.  I knew that this group of shadows was only a small cell of a much larger threat.  I had more information I needed to gather.  The best place to get that information would be in the halls of power where Xendron’s powerful allies resided.  I opened the door to the small apartment I was renting and came face to face with the bounty hunter from the previous day.  She pushed me inside the room and punched the door control, closing it.  I grabbed my blade and ignited it warily.  She rolled her eyes and said, “Look Jedi, I’m not here to fight.  I just want to know why.”  I rose my eyebrow and said curiously, “Why?”  She nodded and continued, “Why did you save me?  I shot you.  And you risked your mission to help me get away.  Why?”  I scoffed and replied, “I wasn’t thinking.  Otherwise I may have exercised better judgement.”  She frowned angrily and said, “No.  Don’t use jokes to deflect.  Nobody I know would have done that.  Why would you do it for a stranger?  Someone who had shot you that very day.”  I sighed and said tiredly, “Because it was the right thing to do.  Those people you work for?  They are a blight on the galaxy.  Agents of Darkness.  I wouldn’t leave anyone in their clutches.  Make the most of the second chance I gave you.  Live a better life.”  I moved to walk out the door, when she stopped me and said determinedly, “I’m coming with you.”  I shook my head and replied, “No you aren’t.  The forces I face … I wouldn’t put anyone in their path.”  She punched me in the shoulder and said with a scrunched up face, “I owe you, and I don’t want to owe anybody anything.  So, you’ll have my gun for a time.  Whether you want it or not.”  I shrugged and said resignedly, “Your funeral.”

The next few hours, my tag along and I spent crawling through air ducts.  A turbolift ride had taken us to the federal district, and I had managed to infiltrate the old Senate building with relative ease.  It was now the seat of the Coruscanti planetary government and held the offices of various officials.  Coruscant had vehemently opposed the democratized approach of the New Republic shifting its capital every few years.  As a seat of planetary government, the local security forces weren’t up to the quality of senatorial guards.  A few quick mind tricks got us past their checkpoints.  It was child’s play to enter the ventilation system and make our way towards the planetary governor’s office.  It was an office for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine before he had occupied the old Jedi Temple and turned it into the Imperial Palace.  It was reported that four Jedi Masters, had died in these very rooms attempting to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor.  The name of the Jedi had since been cleared, but it was disgusting to use this place of evil as an office.  I could feel residual darkness in the vents above the room.  It was cold.  I looked though a hatch and saw that the governor was not inside.  I got out a pair of lockpicks and went to work unscrewing the vent.  Within a few moments the two of us had dropped inside the office.  What I saw made me freeze.  I saw storm trooper armor.  Broken bits of it hanging on the wall in places of honor.  There were imperial rifles.  A force pike from a Royal Guardsman.  An entire wall was dominated by a wing from an old TIE.  I scowled in anger.  I had seen these Imperial Sympathizers before.  They loved collecting old Imp tech.  I couldn’t focus on that though.  I said to the Zeltron, “Watch the front office from the door, warn me if anyone is coming.”  She nodded, and I sat at the desk and installed the hacking chip that Chop had made for me.  Twenty percent downloaded.  Forty-one percent.  The Zeltron looked at me in a panic and held four fingers up.  We had company.  Four guests.  Fifty-six percent.  I motioned for her to come to me and used the Force to lift her into the vent.  I then lifted the vent back in place and stayed at the computer terminal.  The footsteps were coming closer and closer.  Seventy percent.  In walked the governor himself and three of his guards.  They saw me and froze.  I smirked and said, “Oh don’t mind me Governor.  Just reading some interesting files.”  That was a bluff.  I wouldn’t have time to read them until later, but I thought I could trick him into revealing something.  I wasn’t wrong.  This guy wasn’t too bright.  He said furiously yet with a bit of fear in his voice, “The organizations I talk with and donate money to are none of your business!  Guards kill him!”  They looked uncertain.  Standard orders were to take in any suspects alive if possible.  I had an easy solution though.  I used the Force and pushed the men against the wall with enough force to knock them unconscious but leave them physically unharmed.  The Governor sneered and said, “Jedi scum.  What does Skywalker want?”  I scowled and drew my saber slicing through the transparisteel window.  I then used the Force to pull the Governor to me and held him over the edge.  I said over the rushing wind, “I’m no Jedi!  Tell me what I want to know!  Who do you work for?!  Give me names!  Dates!  Places!  Or by the Force I will drop you!”  The Governor looked down in fear and screamed out, “I don’t know names!  I was approached by an intermediary!  He said there are Imperial Remnants reforming in the Unknown Regions!  We met in the Galaxies Opera House!  We have another meeting scheduled there tonight!  My personal box!”  I grinned and said, “Thank you for your confession Governor!”  I used the Force to pull him back inside and slam him against the wall knocking him unconscious.  I then got back on his computer and uploaded the confession he had just made to the public holonet along with all of his personal files.  With any luck he’d be removed from office or forced to resign by the end of the day.  I then reopened the vent and leapt inside coming face to face with the Zeltron.  She looked impressed and said, “Nice job getting answers from that guy.”  I smirked and replied, “Ever been to the Opera?”


	10. Chapter 9 - The Opera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I stepped down from the speeder that we had rented in a white tuxedo.  The creds I had taken for this journey were growing scarcer and scarcer, but we had to look the part.  I then held my hand out and helped the bounty hunter down in a jade gown she had picked out.  We linked arms like any of the dozens of couples walking inside the theater.  I asked curiously, “By the way, I never got your name.”  She snorted and said matter of factly, “I never offered it.”  She then sighed and after I rose my eyebrow she reluctantly answered, “It’s Luxani.  But my friends just call me Luxa.  What’s your name Jedi?”  I replied, “Jacen.”  She smiled and said, “Jacen … it suits you.”  We walked along the crimson carpet and inside the elegant Opera house seeing the dancing colors and lights in the center of the room as we crept towards the Governor’s box.  Where there would normally be guards and attendants, there was no one.  The Governor was dealing with a political fire storm, and rumors ran wild.  Some claimed that he was in New Republic custody awaiting trial for treason.  Others argued he was quietly executed by the cabal he was a member of, due to the publicity he had started.  Some witnesses said they had seen a Jedi attack the Governor and postulated that the Jedi Order was acting on Skywalker’s orders.  The more reasonable pundits reported that the Governor was under house arrest in his posh Coruscanti estate awaiting trial on corruption charges.  My chest puffed out with a bit of pride to have brought the scum down.

I said anxiously as we climbed the steps, “I don’t know what we’ll find up there.”  Luxa smirked and pulled her dress part of the way up revealing a blaster holstered at her thigh.  She said cockily, “That’s what this is for.”  We stepped inside the darkened box.  A figure sat in one of the seats and gestured for us to sit beside him.  I sat down and saw that the figure was a young man with a shaved face.  He said with a touch of wariness in his voice, “Where is the Governor?”  I smirked and replied, “He’s a little … tied up at the moment.”  I drew my saber and pressed the hilt to his side.  Luxa drew her blaster and placed it to his side as well.  I said a little menacingly, “A slip of the finger, and you have one hell of a piercing.  Who are you?”  He pushed his chin out attempting to put on a brave face, but I saw fear.  He stammered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  I scowled and continued, “The Governor already spilled the beans that you’re Imperial Remnant.  Probably not a General or Admiral.  Too important to risk on a glorified fundraising mission like this.  An attaché … captain maybe?”  He gulped and said, “You’ll get nothing from me, Republic dog.”  I sighed and replied, “Have it your way.  Time to take him back to the Academy my dear.”  Luxa looked at me in confusion but my eyes sent a clear message: _Follow my lead_.  Her face molded into a menacing grin.  I said to the Captain, “A smart young man such as yourself has certainly been told of what the Force can do to a mind.  Master Skywalker will have fun extracting your secrets.”  Luxa chuckled and continued, “The Master will reward us for bringing him more Imperial lackeys.”

The man lost all nerve and said desperately, “No!  Okay, I’ll tell you everything.  I’m a Captain in the First Or-”  The whistle of a dart flew through the air and pierced the neck of the young man.  He slumped into my arms, dead.  My eyes frantically searched our surroundings to make sure that no darts were coming our way.  He had watchers.  Whether we were the hunters, or the hunted was increasingly in doubt.  Luxa met my eyes and we wordlessly left the man where he was, walking out of the Galaxies Opera House.  We drove along Coruscant’s skylines in silence.  I finally said, “Is there a place I can drop you off?”  She hesitated at my words and finally muttered, “I don’t have anywhere to go.  I needed the score from your bounty to buy my way off world.”  I sighed and replied, “I’m sorry.”  She laughed incredulously and said disbelievingly, “Did you just apologize for not letting me capture and sell you?  You are a strange man.”  I snorted at that and after a few moments said, “My mother always taught me to feel sympathy for others and understand their point of view … you can stay at my place if you’d like.”  She seemed surprised by that and said, “You’d trust me to not shoot you?  There are bounties on Jedi out there.”  I replied with words that even surprised myself, “I trust you.”

After returning the speeder, the two of us walked through the seedy district to my rented apartment.  As we opened the door, I heard Chop’s annoyed growl.  He said in annoyance that he didn’t understand why we were picking up a stray.  I chuckled, but Luxa said snarkily, “Who are you calling stray, rust bucket.”  I replied, “I’m surprised you understand him.”  She explained, “My family … used to own a repair shop on Ord Mantell. We dealt with plenty of older models like him."  Chopper beeped in annoyance at her words, but she continued, "My parents died there when I was little.  I worked in the shop with my siblings, but they ran the business into the ground.  My older brother sold me to cover his debts.”  I placed a hand on her shoulder and said sadly, “I’m so sorry.  I’ve seen slavery’s evils and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”  She smiled and placed her hand over mine before saying, “Thank you.  Many slaves had it worse than me.  When my Master beat a friend of mine to a pulp, I killed him, and ran off before the guards could catch me.  Managed to smuggle myself offworld.  I was ten, and I’ve been on my own ever since.”  I hesitated and then said honestly, “Well you aren’t on your own anymore.”

I gestured at the second bed in the room for her to sleep in and said, “You can change over in the refresher.”  She went inside and came back out with her jade dress in hand, and wearing a simple undertunic, and shorts.  She slipped beneath the rough sheets on her bed and I did the same in mine.  Having a companion, besides an astromech, on my journeys could be nice.  I thought back to mom’s stories about the old crew of the Ghost.  Mom and dad, Sabine, Ezra, Zeb, Chop.  This mission was a dangerous one as tonight demonstrated, but I wasn’t sure if I could do it alone.  I might very well need to build a team of my own.


	11. Chapter 10 - The Huntress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

_“Jacen … Jacen.”  I opened my eyes and all I saw was chaos.  Faceless soldiers wearing various types of armor battled in a never-ending battle.  There were figures wearing red and yellow armor fighting soldiers in black.  Droids and Clones.  Faceless Jedi and Sith.  Stormtroopers and Rebels.  Dozens of other groups.  War.  At the center of it all was the Twi’Lek Centrist who had perished in the attack.  I began running towards her, but each step felt as though I were moving through quicksand.  I was getting no closer.  A blast struck where she had been standing.  It flung me backwards and a voice whispered through the pandemonium.  “You can’t save everyone.”_

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, and gasping for breath.  Luxa looked down on me worriedly and said, “You look like you just went fifteen rounds with a pissed off Gundark.”  I shakily chuckled and replied, “Nothing … just a bad dream.”  She looked a bit skeptical at that statement and said hesitantly, “Well if you feel like talking … I guess I can lend an ear.”  After the two of us got up and changed, we choked down a couple of ration packs.  She continued chewing and asked with a full mouth, “So, what are our plans now Jedi?”  I rubbed my temples and replied, “Well our only lead is dead.  I’ve got no ideas.”  The bounty hunter chuckled and placed a dart on the table.  She said smugly, “It was a good idea I pocketed this little souvenir from our interrogee last night.”  I flushed in embarrassment.  It was foolish of me to not think of grabbing the dart myself.  I muttered, “Good thinking,” and then asked, “Chopper, can you analyze this with your records?”  He growled in annoyance but complied.  After several minutes he finally answered that the weapon bore similarities to models that BlasTech offered to the New Republic in military contracts for spec forces.  This model though was more austere and streamlined.  Stylistically similar to old Imperial designs.  I frowned and said angrily, “BlasTech is selling weapons to the Imperial Remnant.  We have to do something!”  Luxa put her hands up and said calmly, “We need to think this through.  BlasTech is the biggest weapons corporation in the galaxy.  Not the kind of folks I’d like to go up against.  At least not without a solid plan.”  I sat back down after my outburst and began thinking.  _I could go posing as a buyer for Ryloth’s defensive fleet … No.  That would draw BlasTech attention to the Twi’Leks and put them in danger.  Breaking in is too risky with their state of the art security._ I finally grinned realizing what might work.  I said to Luxa, “Are you ready to leave Coruscant?”  She smirked and replied, “Born ready.”

BlasTech headquarters was incredibly well guarded.  However, the adjacent spaceport was run by the Coruscanti government.  Coruscant’s planetary government was a bloated bureaucracy with inept officials.  The police force was laughably overworked on the city planet.  Sneaking past security was easy for the two of us.  We crept along a nearby rooftop.  She used a grappled gun and I leapt with the aid of the Force to land on top of the open-air spaceport.  All traffic at this docking bay was reserved for BlasTech.  Chopper hacked into the terminal nearby and found an automated transport that was headed out near the unknown regions.  Quite peculiar.  When the ship was before us, I whistled in appreciation.  It was a YZ-900 freighter.  Fresh off the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s assembly lines.  It was nearly the full length of a grav ball court, measuring about fifty-five meters in length.  It had two heavy laser cannons, two twin-laser turrets, and a battery of concussion missiles.  It was as much a small military corvette as a freighter.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this ship was ‘hijacked’ on the way to its destination by our mysterious Imperial friends.  The three of us snuck up the loading ramp and hid aboard the freighter as the droid crew prepared the ship for takeoff.  We had brought all of our belongings with us on this mission, and I had wiped the data from my X-Wing after scuttling the ship and making sure it would never fly again.  If everything went according to plan, we’d have a more spacious ship to continue our mission.  There were five droids manning the vessel.  A skeleton crew.

Luxa and I crouched patiently until we left atmosphere and then we sprung forward.  She used her blaster to blow apart two of the droids in the hold.  I used my saber to slice the last one in half and then leapt into the cockpit, dispatching the other two with an economical strike.  I shouted to Chopper, “Chop, disable all tracking and command measures from BlasTech.  I want this ship clean and completely under my control by the time we jump to hyperspace.”  Luxa sat down in the co-pilot’s seat beside me and kicked her feet up on the console, saying, “Every great ship’s got a name.  What are you gonna call it?”  I thought for a moment and then smiled slightly saying, “My mom called her ship the Ghost.  She said that she and my dad knew stealth was key when dealing with the Empire.  They were Spectres.  And their shuttle was the Phantom.  But we aren’t Spectres.  We aren’t hiding from the Empire.  We’re here to shine a light into whatever hole their hiding in.  I’m calling her, the Huntress.”  She smirked at that and replied, “If you wanted to name the ship after me, you could just call it the Luxa.”  She tried to play it off with sarcasm, but I thought I detected a slight blush light up her already pinkish-red skin in response to my gesture.  I scoffed at her comment and said, “Don’t get all full of yourself.”

The ship shot into hyperspace towards the coordinates that were set in the navicomputer.  Luckily, Chop reported that we had full operational control of the ship.  It was a beauty.  Aside from the advanced weapons systems, it flew with tremendous speed and maneuverability.  It had a spacious cargo bay, and a very comfortable crew quarters that had enough space to house a full complement of eight crew and fourteen passengers.  Now we just needed people to fill it.  But that could wait until after we found out who the mysterious buyers of these weapons were.  Chop did a full accounting and it was startling.  There were tens of thousands of blasters pistols and rifles, hundreds of flame throwers, tens of thousands of grenades, and tens of thousands of suits of armor all packed in the cargo bay.  We cracked open one of the armor cases and saw what looked to be modernized versions of the old Stormtrooper armor.  BlasTech had a lot to answer for. 


	12. Chapter 11 - Revelations and Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

We had many hours yet before we would reach our destination.  With the excitement of the last few days, I had had little time for reflection.  This was one of the lessons that Ahsoka stressed.  Self-reflection to learn from mistakes and determine if I had been living up to my principles.   I meditated for a time thinking back on my actions both good and ill.  And promising to do better.  I then stood up from the floor of my new quarters.  They were bare save for a bed and a desk.  I put my remaining credits in one of the desk drawers.  I then reverently placed my father’s saber in another compartment.  Aside from a spare change of clothes, I didn’t have much else.  Most of my belongings remained on the Ghost.  I laid down on my bed looking up at the bottom of the upper bunk.  This ship, along with Luxa, Chopper, and I, was bound towards the unknown and I knew that there was a significant chance that we would all perish.  _Life does not end with death.  We live on through the Force._   It was a comforting thought that I heard all my life from the Church of the Force’s chapter on Lothal.  However, the only way to know for certain was a bit too final for my tastes.  Tiring of these morbid thoughts I chose to leave the room and headed to the cockpit.  Luxa was seated in the co-pilot’s chair looking out at the rippling blue waves of hyperspace.  I sat down next to her and said solemnly, “Thank you for coming with me.”  She looked at me with a small smile and replied, “If I’m going to die, I couldn’t ask for a finer view … or better company.”  She hesitantly leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder.  I wrapped my arm around her other shoulder and the two of us just sat there for what seemed like hours.  Just watching our faster than light journey across the stars. 

Our ship exited hyperspace and the stars reverted to the pinpricks of light that illuminated the galactic expanse.  Seeing what lay before us, I gasped in shock and not a small amount of horror.  It was a fleet.  Ten advanced looking Star Destroyers that could easily go toe to toe with any of the modern ships in the Republic fleet.  A face appeared on our ship’s holographic projector and an Imperial officer said crisply, “This is Captain Nivers of the First Order.  Prepare to transfer control of your ship and its cargo.”  I opened our end of the holographic communication and bowed my head, replying, “Hello Captain.  We would be happy to oblige your request, but BlasTech sent us to negotiate further weapons purchases.  Would we be permitted to come aboard your vessel?”  The Captain seemed to contemplate my words and eventually gave a curt nod.  Luxa looked at me in disbelief and said, “You want to go inside the belly of the beast?”  I snorted and replied, “Of course not.  I’m not a fool, and I’d prefer to go on breathing.  But, if we fly at a casual and deliberate pace towards their ships it will give me the time to plot a hyperspace vector out of here.”  I turned on the ship’s intercom and said to Chopper, “Chop, I want you to get every scan of those ships you can and record holoimages.  We need evidence to present to the New Republic Senate."  I then turned to Luxa saying, “I need you to man one of the ship’s turrets.”  She nodded and ran out of the cockpit towards the weapon’s deck.  I flew slowly making sure to not enter the limits of Imperial tractor beams.  However, I had to be even more cautious considering these ships likely had more than a few upgrades.

Fighters screened us as we flew and finally before we continued any further than I dared towards the enemy fleet, I turned the freighter on a dizzying dive and came up back in the direction we had come from.  I felt fire from the Imperial fighters behind us rocking the ship.  But this was where I shone.  A feral grin lit up my face.  Flying came more naturally to me than walking.  The ship was larger and more unwieldy than the Ghost, but I made it dance through space in dives, spins, and rolls that threw off enemy pursuit.  The Force aided my piloting as well, allowing me to intuit where enemy blasts would erupt.  I could feel Luxa manning the turrets and the little jolt the ship received when they went off.  A minor kickback that most couldn’t even notice.  But I was one with the ship.  Enemy fire was slackening off as the coordinates were laid in.  Luxa had done well against the fighters.  The stars stretched out and we entered hyperspace.  Despite any common sense, I felt exhilarated by flying in death defying combat.

I walked out of the cockpit and ran into Luxa.  She had a sort of primal excitement in her eyes.  Before I knew what was happening or who had initiated it, our lips met in a passionate embrace.  I ran my hands through her dark red hair.  She leapt into my arms, and I picked her up cradling her as her legs were straddled around my waist.  Our kisses became hungrier.  More desperate.  I punched the control key and we stumbled into my room before I placed her on my bunk.  I stared down at the beautiful woman in my bed and she smirked before saying, “Are you just going to stand there staring all day, Love?”  I grinned and joined her, placing gentle kisses along her face, neck, and collarbone as she gasped in approval.

The two of us laid there a few hours later, exhausted by our acts of passion.  I held her in my arms and smiled like a goofy idiot.  She chuckled and replied, “Don’t look so proud of yourself.  This … didn’t mean anything.”  She said that hesitantly as though she were trying to convince herself of that.  I grasped her chin and gently turned her head to look at me.  I said seriously, “It meant something to me.  You don’t have to be afraid to trust me.”  She leaned forward and captured my lips again before saying, “I trust you.”

The two of us got dressed and went about the business of flying a ship with such a small crew.  I had sent the data of our meeting with this First Order back to the Paladins on Ossus.  With any luck, we’d be reaching the desert world soon and could present our findings in person.  I was in the cockpit when the ship exited hyperspace.  The sight that dominated the view screen terrified me.  I saw the broken remains of several T-65 X-Wings around one of the advanced Star Destroyers.  The First Order had come to Ossus.


	13. Chapter 12 - Massacre on Ossus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.
> 
> Warning: This chapter will be darker than many others I have posted with some major character death. If this might disturb you, I don't recommend reading this part of the story.

I shouted to Chopper, “Chop, scramble our signature!  I don’t want them seeing us on their radar.”  The droid growled out an acknowledgement and set to work.  Luxa sat in the seat beside me and placed her hand on mine with a worried expression on her face.  I brought the ship on a covert approach towards the planet.  We landed in the canyon right in front of the base.  I ran down the ramp with my saber ignited with Luxa wielding her blaster right behind me.  Dozens of storm troopers laid on the ground dead.  Walking further inside, I saw the bodies of Paladins mingled in with the troopers.  The old Knights who had survived the Jedi Purge were at the forefront of the fallen.  A horrifying irony.  We walked further into the Temple and I saw Rex.

He was surrounded by twenty dead stormtroopers and was laying on the ground gasping for breath.  I ran to him and fell to my knees saying, “Uncle Rex … just stay calm, we’ll get bacta and fix you up.”  His wounds were far too grievous for that now.  His body was riddled with bolts of blaster fire, his armor cracked and pitted.  He wheezed out a laugh and replied, “You’re a terrible liar kid.  We should have played more sabacc together.  It’s alright, I’ve lived a long life and an old kath hound like me should go out fighting.  It’s what I was born for.”  Tears were in my eyes and I replied, “No.  You’ve always been more than that.”  He said resolutely, “Maybe so, but I was able to defend the galaxy from evil in three wars now.  I’m proud of that.  Now it’s your turn.”  I cradled his head and he let out a pained chuckle before saying, “It’s funny.  My body’s nearly one hundred and twenty years old and I was still able to take plenty of the kriffing Huttspawn with me … I’m worried about what comes after.”  I choked out a reply, “What happens next is that you go and see your brothers.”  He smiled and said before taking his last breath, “It’ll be nice to see them again.”  I cradled his body in my arms and felt tears streaming down my face.  He was a member of the family.  Uncle Rex.  A hero of two … now three galactic wars.  Only to die on a dust ball planet like this.  I reached over and closed his eyes.  Luxa put a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

None of the younglings were here.  And I couldn’t find Ahsoka, Sabine, or Ezra’s bodies anywhere as I combed through the fallen.  I hoped that they had managed to save a few people and escape.  Yet the image of those shattered X-Wings was a troubling one.  I sensed something sinister in this place and moved further into the Temple.  I whispered to Luxa, “Get back to the ship.”  She shook her head stubbornly, but I insisted saying, “We may need to make a quick exit.”  I saw her begin walking back the way we came, and I delved deeper into the cavernous expanse of the libraries, letting my senses guide me.  Finally, I leapt towards the lowest level of the library over the balcony, allowing the Force to slow my descent.  It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, and I could see that I was surrounded by a dozen First Order troopers.  One of them shouted, “Surrender Jedi!”  I snarled out a bitter reply, “Did you give that offer to my friends and then gun them down?!”  I pushed out with my hands throwing the troopers back into columns and walls with back breaking speeds.  My saber was a blur deflecting blasts and slicing the enemy troopers apart.  After it was over, I stood there shaken.  I then heard a blast and turned to see a stormtrooper who had been ready to shoot me.  He had a hole in his helmet and I could see Luxa offer a mock salute from the level above.  She had just saved my life, because I was too furious to pay attention to my own surroundings.

I waited for Luxa to rejoin me and cut off her cocky comment by saying, “Thank you.  I was wrong to send you away.  I was just … worried.”  She snorted and replied, “I’m no damsel, Love.”  We continued walking down the lowest level until I saw a bit of stone that seemed to be out of place.  I used the Force to lift it away and reveal a secret passageway into the stone.  It was a tight fit, so the two of us walked at a crouch through the endless series of hidden tunnels.  After what felt like hours, we finally could see light ahead.  With a push of the Force, I leapt atop an opening in the ceiling and held my hand down to help Luxa up.  We stood atop the canyon at what must have been the highest extent of the Temple.  Looking around, I saw impressions in the stone and smiled.  It was the Ghost.  The ship had been here recently.  I would recognize those indentations anywhere.  I breathed a sigh of relief and said, “They got away.  On the Ghost.”  Luxa smiled and said, “Nice to have some good news.  What’s with these Imperial pricks.  Did they forget they lost the war or something?”  I shrugged and replied, “Fanaticism doesn’t disappear on the battlefield.  It is often strengthened by defeat.  With the help of arms corporations and segments of the criminal underworld, Neo-Imperials could amass a fortune.  Enough to rebuild armies and fleets.”  Luxa frowned in anger and replied, “The Imperials were not kind to the Zeltron people.  We were viewed as nothing but pleasure servants.  I was lucky to have been born soon after the end of the war, but times were not good for my people under their rule.”  I nodded sympathetically and replied, “I understand.  The Twi’lek were treated in a similar way.”

I knew we needed to leave quickly.  This First Order would send more troopers after losing contact with their squads, so the two of us made our way back to the ship, but we stopped to carry the bodies of the fallen aboard.  They deserved a proper service for their sacrifice.  Chopper beeped sadly to see Rex and patted him on the head saying, “I know Chop.  I’ll miss him too.”  I muttered a pray, “The Force is with him.  And he is one with the Force.”  I ran to the cockpit and hopped behind the controls of the ship.  We lifted off and flew through the atmosphere as fast as I could force the ship to go.  We needed to get out of this system.  But luck was not with us.  The Star Destroyer had moved in closer and captured us in a tractor beam.  Luxa yelled out, “What’s happening?”  I replied, “We’re trapped in a tractor beam.”  “What do we do now?!”  I gritted my teeth and said resolutely, “We fight.”


	14. Chapter 13 - Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.
> 
> Warning: This chapter will be darker than many others I have posted with some major character death. If this might disturb you, I don't recommend reading this part of the story.
> 
> This along with the previous chapter were very difficult to write from an emotional stand point, but I felt that these sacrifices served the story well. Giving stakes and motivation for the characters.

The docking bay was filled with troopers as the two of us walked down the ramp.  I saw the Ghost docked next to our own vessel and felt my blood run cold.  Mom, Sabine, Ezra, Ahsoka, the younglings.  They all had to be here.  I ignited my saber and Luxa stayed on the ramp with her blaster drawn, ready to cover me.  A trooper stepped forward and derisively said, “We’ve got you surrounded Jedi!  Throw down your weapon.  You’re outnumbered.”  I snarled and replied, “And you’re outmatched.”  I held out my hand with the Force and pulled the trooper towards me, using his body to deflect oncoming blaster fire.  I leapt amidst the troopers in the hangar slashing, parrying, and dodging at a furious pace to stay ahead of the enemy fire.  Luxa picked off enemy soldiers left and right with steady aim.  After a few minutes, the hangar was filled with corpses.  Looking around, the ship was cold and sterile with grey and black tones throughout.  Exactly what I’d expect from a soulless Imperial vessel.  I looked around in shock at the number of TIE fighters docked.  The ship was huge.  I just had to hope that the Imps didn’t have a lot of them.  Soon, the two of us were running down corridors, dispatching the squads we met.  When we reached a lift, I quickly punched in the command for the detention level.  That would be where this First Order had all of our friends imprisoned.

The lift opened, and I sliced through two of the troopers positioned right outside.  Luxa picked off three of the officers behind the control center.  Leaping atop the consoles, I pushed the button to release all of the prisoners on the level.  Dozens of individuals that looked as though they had been through hell shambled out of cells.  I hadn’t recognized any yet though.  They came from dozens of races.  I pushed past them and finally found them all.  The few surviving adults shepherded the scared younglings forward.  I threw my arms around my mother pulling her into a tight hug and saying, “I was so worried, mom.  Are you alright?”  She smiled and nodded saying, “It’s so good to see you again.  I missed you so much.”  I nodded.  I had missed her as well since my investigation had begun.  I bowed my head to Ahsoka and Ezra who looked a bit worse for wear.  Ezra had a nasty bruise under his eye and chuckled saying, “They don’t like when you fight back.”  Ahsoka’s left lekku was missing its lower portion.  She grimaced in pain and answered my unasked question, “They’ve got saber wielders.  Must be inquisitors or some other Dark Side users … not Sith though.  I managed to take out a couple before one of them did this.”  Sabine was busily putting her armor back on from the bin of confiscated equipment.

An old man I didn’t recognize from the group of prisoners can forward and said, “Thank you for rescuing us.  When we get off this ship, I need to get back to Jakku.  My charge is there.  I've been gone far too long already”  I nodded, but Sabine looked towards him in surprise and said, “Lor?”  He bowed his head and replied, “Lady Wren.  It is good to see you again.”  I asked Sabine, “You know him?”  She nodded and answered, “He is a member of Clan Tekka of House Kryze.”  She turned to the man and said, “I heard you were out helping Skywalker with his Academy.”  He sighed and replied, “Splitting my time between that and looking after my granddaughter.  The former activity is why I was in here.”

Our group crept through halls towards the docking bay when my mom said, “We aren’t getting anywhere if we don’t take this ship down.  Even if we managed to take its tractor beams down, its turbolaser batteries and missile launchers would blast us out of the sky.”  I whispered over the comm to Chopper saying, “Chop, hack into the ship’s data ports and find out a place we can hit to cripple the ship.”  He growled out a response, detailing directions to the main reactor of the ship.  I looked to our group and said, “Okay, Mom, Luxa, Ezra, and Ahsoka get everyone back to the two ships and keep them safe from troopers or these inquisitors of theirs.  Sabine and I will get that reactor deactivated.”  The Mandalorian nodded at my plan.  If anybody could take down a reactor, our explosives expert would be the one.”  My mom stepped forward and said, “I’m coming too.”  I rose my eyebrow incredulously and replied, “No.  You need to be at the ships, you’re the best pilot we have.”  She stubbornly jutted her jaw out with a face I recognized all too well from my childhood.  Sabine chuckled for a minute before saying, “You’re not winning this fight, kid.”  I sighed and nodded reluctantly.  I then walked over to Luxa who looked at me with a worried expression.  I pulled her into a tender kiss and said, “I’ll be fine.  Just keep the ship running.”  She nodded and said, “Come back, you idiot.”

We crept through the halls of the ship at a slow and deliberate pace not wanting to tip the Imps off to our plans.  Mom whispered to me with a humorous expression on her face, “So … you have a girlfriend?”  I replied in an exasperated tone, “Mom …”  Sabine laughed quietly and said, “You’ve got him blushing Hera.”  Mom continued, “It's a mother's prerogative to be curious about her son’s love life.  As long as she makes you happy, she’s okay in my book.”  I nodded at their words and replied, “Yeah.  She makes me happy.”  We finally reached the reactor doors and they were shockingly unguarded.  I whispered warily, “Be careful of a trap.  I have a bad feeling about this.”  The door was unlocked, which was even more unsettling.  Sabine walked inside and began placing thermal detonators on the vital controls inside the room, when a dozen warriors, dropped from an upper catwalk.  They each wielded what looked to be pikes with the blade of a lightsaber on the end and were cloaked in dark armor.  None of them said a word as they advanced menacingly.  I took a defensive stance with my blade and Aunt Sabine stood right beside me, when the warriors used the Force and pushed the two of us through the air.  My eyes were swimming with images of stars and the wind had been knocked from my lungs, yet I managed to leap to my feet.  I had to make it to my mother.  Just as I was about to run back inside the reactor room, I heard a blaster shot.

I saw my mom shoot the door panel out as the inquisitors advanced on her, trapping both herself and the warriors inside.  She then looked at me with a sad smile on her face and said, “It's okay Jacen.  Don't be sad.  I’m going to see your father.”  She punched the button on the detonator that she had picked up after Sabine’s fall.  The room filled with nothing but light and heat and energy.  I pounded against the door with all my might, tears streaming down my face.  _No.  No.  No!_   My entire body was numb as though I were seeing this from outside of myself.  This couldn’t be real.  I was having some kind of vision.  This was a test.  Distantly, I could hear Sabine screaming that we had to leave.  She eventually took hold of me and used her jetpack to propel us away from the expanding blast, yet I fought her the entire way.

We somehow made it back to the hangar where I saw squads of stormtroopers battling with my friends.  I felt a fury I had never experienced before flow through me.  I held out my hand and used the Force to lift a dozen troopers off the ground, choking the life out of them.  I ran through the rest of them making painful and vicious saber strikes.  By the end of it all, there were none left.  Only the sound of silence as I walked up the gangplank of the Ghost with Sabine.

I was silently sitting in the co-pilot’s chair as she lifted the ship out of the hangar.  I didn’t even look back when the entire Star Destroyer exploded with an immense shock wave.  The Huntress flew right beside our vessel in the almost mournful silence of space.  Aunt Sabine placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “Jacen … I’m so sorry.”  Tears streaked her face as well.  I knew that my mother had been almost a surrogate mother to her as well, and I felt a pang of guilt for not considering her pain in the matter.  I threw my lightsaber on the floor and placed my head in my hands, just letting the tears flow.  She continued and said, “Hera would want you to continue forward.”  I nodded knowing the truth to her words.  A fierce determination erupted within me.  My mother had died to destroy a Star Destroyer and save our lives.  Yet it was still so … senseless.  If I could convince the New Republic Senate of the First Order threat, then her death wouldn’t be in vain.  We could stop this war before it started.

I walked into my mother’s chambers.  The chambers that my father had once used.  Inside I found the family Kalikori and held it reverently in my hands.  Right under mom and dad’s symbols was my own, a light green wolf.  I found mom’s flight headgear and smiled sadly at it, picturing all the times we flew together.  She had a lock of my father’s hair that he had cut before his last mission, an old tome on Jedi philosophy, and her medals that she had won during the War against the Empire.  I also found a collection of holoimages.  They dated back to her childhood, her time on the Ghost with my father, and throughout my life.  I took all of these belongings and packed them inside my satchel wanting to keep them close.  Aside from a few sets of clothing, there wasn’t much else in here.  I then went into my own room and packed up all of my belongings that remained.  I didn’t think I would ever be coming aboard the Ghost again.  It held too many painful memories.  Chopper was aboard the Huntress and I was almost glad.  I didn't think I could face the droid and let him know that I had failed.  That I had let the woman he was so close to, die.

The ships jumped into hyperspace en route to the Hosnian System with the hope of rallying the aid of the New Republic military.  I was determined that this would be the best way for me to avenge my mother’s death.  The only meaningful way.


	15. Interlude - The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

Kanan held Hera in his arms under the willow tree and kissed her head saying, “He sounds like a good man.  You’ve done a great job raising him.  I wish I could have been there.”  She smiled sadly and replied, “I wish you could have been too, Love.  I’m worried that he’ll be lost without me.”  The Jedi Knight picked a blossom from the tree and tucked it on Hera’s Lekku.  Kanan kissed Hera tenderly and said, “He’s our son.  Even if he is lost.  He’ll find his way again.”

Hera felt like she had left her son behind.  In her mind, she knew that she had saved not only his, but all of their allies’ lives.  But in her heart, she knew there would be dark days ahead for Jacen.  Call it a mother’s intuition, but she feared that her death would break him.  He had already lost most of the Paladins, and Hera knew that the New Republic would likely vacillate on the issue as they always had with threats like this.  She feared that without the direction of a cause or family in his life, that he would travel down a wrong path.  She tried to put these thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on Kanan’s warm breath on her neck, and his patch of chin hair grazing the side of her head.  She let herself get lost in this moment of peace.  And happiness.  The sun warmed their skin, and the smell of exotic flowers perfumed the air.  A small babbling brook flowed past in a nearby meadow.  Hera curiously asked, “What is this place?”  Kanan smiled and answered, “Your guess is as good as mine, but it feels like this place is made from the Living Force.  Our surroundings are shaped by us.”  Hera suddenly gasped in realization and said, “This is Zaluna’s garden.”  Kanan nodded with a small grin, thinking of their old Sullustan friend and her remote home.

Kanan would never leave Hera again.  He had promised that to her and he intended to keep that promise, but in the Netherworld of the Force, he could spare a small bit of his consciousness to help their son if he needed it.  He just hoped that Jacen wouldn’t go through what he had after the Jedi Order had fallen.  That feeling of aimlessness and solitude was crippling.  It could break a person.  Only Hera had managed to pull him out.  Kanan wondered who or what could save Jacen.


	16. Chapter 14 - Adrift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

_Those kriffing Sons of Hutts!_ We went before the Senate.  Showed our holo recordings of the First Order fleet and data we had sliced from the Imperial ship.  We showed scans we had taken.  And we all gave testimony.  War heroes.  Former Jedi.  First Order prisoners.  And they ignored it all.  Centrist Senators were able to throw doubt on all of it.  And the Populists didn’t want a war disrupting their small military policies.  With Senator Organa under investigation for her parental ties to Darth Vader, we didn’t have many allies in that room.  And the few we had were outvoted on the matter of a military expedition by a humiliating margin.

I was drinking heavy spirits in a Hosnian bar after the hearing.  They closed the case on my mother’s death just like that.  Promised some Bantha poodoo about electing a sub-committee to appoint investigators for an official inquest.  I knew that meant exactly nothing.  Sabine sat beside me nursing a Mandalorian ale.  I said abruptly, “Take the Ghost.  She’s yours.”  She looked at me in surprise and replied, “No.  Your mother would want you to have it.”  I said resolutely, “I never want to go back on that ship.  Too many painful memories.  Please Aunt Sabine.”  She reluctantly nodded.  It felt good knowing the ship wouldn’t end up on some junkyard world.

Luxa walked up behind me and put her arms around my shoulders saying, “I’m sorry, Jacen.”  I nodded and then said, “I’m done with this galaxy.  With this Republic.  They can fend for themselves.  Let’s go find a remote world or just cruise the star lanes in the Huntress.”  Luxa looked at me in surprise and replied, “No … we need to help stop the First Order.”  I closed my eyes and said, “I’m tired.  So tired of trying to do the right thing only to receive pain in return.”  She looked at me stubbornly and said, “One way or another, I’m helping the Paladins that are left.  They need a place to stay and train.  They need the Huntress.”  I closed my eyes sadly, but steeled my nerve and said, “Then take it.”  She looked shocked that I had just said that.  That I was leaving the group.  But, I just had no more fight left in me.  Finally, after a tense silence she said with a defeated tone, “Fine.  If that’s what you want.”  I stood up and left the bar behind.  I left the Republic behind.  And I didn’t look back.

Three years later …

My feet were kicked up on the dash of the shitty little baby freighter I was flying in and I was chugging down a bottle of Corellian brandy.  I would need to get my buzz during the time in between jumps as we zoomed through hyperspace.  I was working as a hyperspace speculator these days.  I took out cheap vessels for companies to trail blaze new hyperspace routes, going on nothing but luck and local myths to guide me.  Part of me hoped with each jump that I’d ram straight through a super nova.  But one year into this job and that still hadn’t happened.  Each new route bought me plenty of Corellian Brandy, Vosh, Juma Juice, or whatever other poison I felt like consuming on a given day.  Since I had two Twi'lek livers I never had to worry about alcohol poisoning.

I had let my beard grow out until it covered my face and I had tied my unruly hair behind my head into a pony tail.  When I looked in the mirror at the refresher, I realized that I looked like a light green mirror of my father.  That just made me feel more worthless when being compared to a hero.  A whisper in my ear said, _I wasn’t always a hero._   I heard those whispers from time to time.  If I still believed in the Cosmic Force as anything more than a biological magic trick, I would think it was my father talking to me.  In reality, I figured I was just going crazy.

It all seemed so silly looking back.  The Paladins were gone.  Dead or in hiding.  Mom was dead because of me.  Luxa and the Huntress were long gone.  The Ghost was in Sabine's care.  The New Republic just kept turning on.  Any evidence uncovered was pushed aside or ignored.  In a fit of anger, I threw my finished bottle against the durasteel wall of the transport.  It shattered and sent glass through the air.  One shard flew at me and left a nasty little slice on my cheek.  The pain felt numbed by the alcohol and my apathy.  _Kriffing Whoresons_.  I looked over at one of the few precious possessions I still had.  My family Kalikori.  I smiled sadly down at the heirloom.  There would be no more additions.  _It ends with me.  The Last Syndulla_.  I had heard on the Holonet that my Grandfather, the legendary revolutionary Cham Syndulla, had died the year before. Many said the loss of his daughter, my mother, had sent his health spiraling into a downturn. Just more blood on my hands.  I was the only member of my family left.

My only other valuable possession aside from a few family mementos was the lightsaber I had resting on the console of the vessel.  I had disassembled it into two pieces as my father had during his years in exile.  It felt appropriate.  I don't know why I never got rid of it or gave it to Sabine.  Something about it still spoke to me.  I didn't have much time to think about that at the moment however.  I was coming into the regional headquarters for my next assignment.  Chopper, my one constant companion over these last three years growled that we were exiting hyperspace above one of the most unsavory planets in the galaxy.  A haven for vice and sin.  The Smuggler's Moon.  Nar Shadda.


	17. Chapter 15 - A New Mission, A New Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

The ship, which I had derisively called Sparky, because of its frequent mechanical malfunctions, landed in a small walled off docking pad where all of the cheap baby freighters were kept.  Chopper and I lazily walked down the boarding ramp and I placed a hand on the cut I had stupidly gotten on my cheek.  My hand came back bloody and I muttered a curse knowing that it would scar.  One of the dock workers, a blond-haired jerk named Kut said with a smirk, “Where’d you get the wound Dume?  Did your mouth finally get you in trouble?!”  I leveled a smirk of my own at him and replied, “Ask your sister.  You know she likes it rough.”  It was true that his sister was known to be a bit loose and many of the workers here would sneak off for little trysts with her, but I had never been one of them.  I could never bring myself to be with anyone.  I thought back to that vision from many years before, a red-skinned figure saying, _“Find me.”_   It had been Luxa.  My nemesis snarled at my words and sent a fist towards my face.  Without even looking, I sidestepped the strike and tripped the blowhard sending him sprawling.  I nonchalantly continued on my way towards the building, not bothering to look back.

Inside I was greeted by the familiar face of our Pantoran director.  She leveled her gaze at me and said, “Dume, nice job charting that shortcut through the Typhonic Nebula.”  She threw a bundle of credits my way, which I deftly caught before depositing them inside the inner pockets of my nerf leather jacket.  She then said, “Got a new assignment for you.  You’re gonna head out and pick up the customer at a bar a few levels down from here and discreetly bring them back here.  Then you’ll be taking them out past the Outer Rim.  Your favorite kind of work.”  I groaned and replied, “You know I hate passenger missions.”  She scoffed and replied, “Don’t worry.  They won’t care if you’re sober.  Just that you get them through some hairy clusters of uncharted space.”  I chuckled a bit and said, “I fly my best, drunk.”  I then regretfully nodded and headed out armed with the location where I’d be meeting my contact.  Before I could leave the courtyard, Kut and a couple of his goons ambushed me with vibroshivs.  I sighed and drew my blaster at an inhuman speed sending a couple of blasts into each of their legs and arms, toppling them in a moaning wounded heap.

The walk down a few levels wasn’t so bad.  Nar Shadda was filled with every form of vice that would make even the degenerates in the Coruscanti lower levels blush.  I was well known in these parts and had a good enough reputation.  As I walked along the streets I made sure to flirt with the courtesans a bit.  Having a rapport with them could always be useful.  I also sometimes helped them out with abusive customers, so they tended to come to me with their problems … and with information.  The local spice dealers didn’t have much feeling about me one way or another.  I didn’t interfere with their trade, but I didn’t buy either.  That stuff was crazy addictive and would wring your body out in horrible ways.  I wasn’t that desperate to forget my troubles.  I told myself to stay out of the district’s problems, but I tended to make the street toughs worry when I was in port.  I had stopped more than a few muggings, assaults, and murders this past year.  In those brief moments of do-goodery, I had a rare feeling of purpose.  Peace.  I remembered the Jedi Proverbs that mom had always read from the Church of the Force Scriptures.  One that seemed appropriate was about a small act of kindness filling the galaxy with hope.  Yet the next instant, that brief moment passed, and I went on with the drudgery of existence.

I finally pushed my way into one of the local watering holes and signaled the bartender over.  He was a Bith named Droth, and a friend of mine.  I asked him, “What’s on tap tonight?”  He replied in his native tongue saying, “Tibrinese Teq’la distilled from their seaweed.”  I was pretty sure that the Bith knew basic and only spoke his tongue to bother me.  It was hard to keep track of multiple languages when you were hammered.  I ordered one of the drinks and sat at the bar for a moment savoring the exotic flavor.  I had never tried this particular drink before.  It held the taste of salt from the oceans of the Ishi Tib homeworld.  My eyes scanned the room, while simultaneously appearing to do anything but that.  The lazy and unfocused eyes of a drunkard.  I finally saw what I figured would be my new client.  The figure was hooded and had their back turned to me but had taken a position at the corner of the establishment.  They were trying to not be noticed.

I moved to slide into their booth shielding my eyes from a neon sign and saying, “You the one that was planning on doing business with Hyperblazer Co.?  If so, I’m your pilot.”  Now that I could see the figure, I observed that they were wearing a mask.  It wasn’t a surprise.  Plenty of folks from fugitives, to smugglers, and bounty hunters wore face masks.  They provided some armor and more importantly anonymity.  My boss made it sound like this client was seeking exactly that.  Up close, I scanned the figure.  Humanoid in appearance, so a near-human species.  Skin tone was obscured by a variety of body coverings, so an exact species identification was impossible.  By their figure, I could tell that this particular individual was a woman.  The figure hesitated for several long moments and then said with a mechanized voice, “Yeah, that’s me.  Just how discreet are you?”  I smirked and replied, “As discreet as the customer wants.  Are you ready to head back to my ship, or do you have any business to finish first?”  She stood up and replied, “I’m ready.”

I was half expecting trouble the entire way back towards the docking courtyard, but luck was on our side.  Or this woman was just being overly paranoid.  She asked me at one point during our walk, “So, what do I call you?”  I replied as I always had these last three years, “Cal Dume.  At your service.” 


	18. Chapter 16 - Fulcrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I didn’t ask my passenger’s name for numerous reasons.  I was supposed to play the part of discreet chauffeur, which doesn’t include prying into the customer’s business.  Besides, the odds that she would give me a real name and not an alias where exceptionally slim, so there was no real point.  I gestured for her to walk up the ramp of my ship before I did.  I then thought I heard her mechanized voice snort and mutter, “What a gentleman.”  I rolled my eyes at that and walked up the ramp of the ship with Chop trailing behind me.

Our passenger wasted no time hopping into the co-pilot’s seat.  She turned and said to me, “Make course for Jakku.  That’s our first stop.”  I shrugged with indifference.  The desert world had one valuable commodity.  Junk that had rained from the sky during the last battle of the Galactic Civil War.  There were only a handful of settlements and the planet made Tatooine look downright cosmopolitan by comparison.  Within moments, the ship was in the air and I weaved it through the dozens of skylanes with daring loops and dives to get us out into space as soon as possible.  With a few flicks of my fingers across the controls, I had uploaded the jump coordinates and we leapt into hyperspace.  The woman said incredulously, “You can’t go to hyperspace that fast!  You need to take time and check the navicomputer to avoid collisions!”  I smirked and replied, “No.  _You_ can’t go to hyperspace that fast.  That’s why _you_ hired me.”  She huffed in annoyance at my words.

I kicked my feet up and opened a compartment where I had kept an unopened bottle of Wookie-Wango.  It was made from a Sullustan Gin and reportedly was one of the few drinks that could test a Wookie’s constitution.  That stuff would knock you on your ass.  Even with my high tolerance I had to nurse the drink and took only a small sip, feeling as though I had swallowed a bolt of pure lightning.  My nosy companion said a bit heatedly, “You’re drinking while we’re flying?!”  I chuckled and answered, “The ship’s on autopilot ‘til we exit hyperspace.  And that won’t be for hours yet, sweetheart.”  I put the rest of the drink away though not feeling like incurring this woman’s wrath.  It would cause too much of a headache for me.  Chopper rolled into the cockpit and growled out the various maintenance conditions of the ship.  I nodded at his words and replied, “Thanks buddy.  See if you can keep this bucket of bolts flying ‘til we get our friend here to her destination.”

The trip to Jakku was dull.  One of the few alleged benefits that came from traveling with a companion was conversation.  I wouldn’t know, because I was apparently the chatty one of us two.  She kept most of her comments or questions within a few words and would remain silent for long stretches of time in between.  At one point we hadn’t spoken in five hours until she picked up my Kalikori.  I angrily snatched the precious item from her and said, “Watch it.”  She said curiously, “That’s a Kalikori.  A Twi’lek family heirloom.  Why do you have it?  Did you steal it?”  I snarled a bit and answered, “It’s mine.  Hands off.”  I then carefully stowed it away in a compartment far away from where she sat.  I had holstered my disassembled saber at my side when we boarded the ship so at least she wouldn’t be putting her grubby hands on that.  Her knowledge of Twi’lek culture was unsettling and for a moment I wondered if I had a slaver aboard.  If that were true, she wouldn’t be accomplishing her mission.

When we were three hours away from Jakku, she said that she was going to the refresher.  I had my doubts though and crept out of the cockpit stealthily.  She walked back towards one of the two cramped sleeping compartments and closed the door.  I placed my ear to it and managed to hear a few snippets of her conversation: “This … Fulcrum … meet Tek- on Jakku … found … Syndulla.”  I was waiting there when she opened the door and I had my saber drawn and ignited.  With a wintry coolness in my voice I said, “Hello Fulcrum.  Looks like you found me.”

I hadn’t been entirely sure why I changed my name three years ago.  I was in hiding certainly.  Soon after the Battle of Ossus, I had found out through second hand sources that Luke Skywalker was missing.  His own apprentice had slaughtered all of the students in his Temple, the rumors said.  That along with the inquisitors we had faced made being a former Jedi or any Force user associated with the Jedi seem like a dangerous proposition.  I didn’t try too hard to shake off pursuit though.  My new name was almost a taunt.  The irony of using my father’s real name that he had abandoned in favor of an alias, as my own alias was almost humorous in a way.  Still, hearing the name Syndulla in relation to myself was chilling, and a bit frightening.  The figure froze and then raised her hand punching a small command into her wrist.  A holographic image of the old Alliance Starbird appeared, and she said, “I am Agent Fulcrum.  My mission is in service to the Resistance under General Leia.”  I had heard of this new Resistance.  Idealistic fools trying to wake the Senate up to the pressing danger.  A paramilitary force building up for a confrontation with the First Order.  She continued, “You are Jacen Syndulla, former Paladin under the command of Master Ahsoka Tano.  Son of General Syndulla and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus.”  I shook my head and before turning away muttered, “I used to be.”  I then deactivated my saber and went back to the cockpit.

The creds from this job were just too good.  I figured I could drive this rebel around space for a few rotations and then returned to my lifestyle on Nar Shadda with a nice sum of credits to my name.  I sat back in my chair and didn’t look over when I heard the woman take a seat beside me.  She asked curiously, “Why did you leave it all?  The galaxy needs people with your skills Jacen.”  My eyes blazed with fury and I replied, “The name’s Cal!  And _I_ didn’t leave anything!  The galaxy left me alright?!  What’s the point in fighting?!  First this power’s on top then that one.  Republic, Separatists, Empire, Rebels, New Republic, First Order.  They just roll on and on crushing people at the ground level.  I doubt your little Resistance will be any different honey.”  She shot back an angry retort, “Your mother and father gave their lives to the fight against tyranny!  To protect people!”  I stood and paced around replying heatedly, “Don’t talk about my parents.  You don’t have the right.”  She continued, “It’s not too late.”  I sat back down and ignored her for the rest of the flight to Jakku.

The ship touched down on the sandy wastes at a little community of quaint structures.  Chopper grumbled about sand getting in his gears, but I just chuckled and patted his dome saying, “I’ll clean you out on the ship Chop.  A little sand never did in any droid.”  Our small band walked by the residents of this community until we reached a small hut, which my passenger strode into.  I gingerly walked inside as well and was surprised to see a familiar face.  One of the men we had rescued three years ago.  Lor San Tekka.


	19. Chapter  17 - Jaunt on Jakku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

The old man bowed his head and said respectfully, “Agent Fulcrum … Master Syndulla.  Allow me to welcome you to my humble home.”  The inside of his hut was indeed humble.  There was no proper door, just a screen of hanging wooden sticks that one had to push through to walk inside.  Dehydrated foods hung from the walls in bushels, and shelves throughout the home seemed to be filled with artifacts of various ages and cultural origins.  I could feel the Force flowing from many of them.  Fulcrum bowed her head in return to Tekka and said with her mechanized voice, “We are honored.  Do you have the information that Leia has been seeking?”  He sighed and shook his head replying, “Trying to piece together the location of the first Jedi Temple is a slow process.  Luke kept most of the clues we found over the years to himself.  I’ve been working off of guesswork as well as trial and error mostly.”  Fulcrum seemed a bit deflated by that but continued, “What about the other piece of information we have been seeking?”  He nodded and replied, “It wasn’t easy, but after combing through the old Imperial archives, I have found a large swathe of space in the unknown regions that was uncharted.  Almost by design.  I think what you seek will be there.”

We stayed at Tuanal Village that night and were treated to a hot meal, as well as an outdoor sermon.  Apparently, this community was one of dedicated initiates in the Church of the Force.  The villagers came from many different species but were united by their faith and their belief that the Jedi would one day return peace to the galaxy.  During the meal, I saw Tekka walk off and I followed him, curious as to why the old man was leaving.  I trekked through the desert after him for some time until I finally found the man on a dune looking out through a pair of macrobinoculars.  He said without turning around, “Was there something you wished to discuss with me, Master Syndulla?”  I hesitantly nodded my head and replied, “I … I’ve been lost for some time and I don’t know what to do.”  He gestured for me to step forward and handed me the macrobinoculars.  I looked out and saw the shell of a fallen ATAT.  Sitting outside of the transport was a girl, probably about sixteen years old.  Tekka said, “She is my granddaughter.  For years now, I’ve kept my distance to ensure her safety.  I understand the pain of losing family, Master Syndulla.  My daughter …”  He appeared to be on the brink of tears and continued, “She died trying to protect me.  I understand the feelings of loss.  The guilt.  But we only truly fail them if we lose ourselves.  Your mother wouldn’t want that for you.  I’m fighting for a galaxy where my granddaughter will be safe from the Darkness.  I hope you haven’t given up on that fight just yet.”

I walked back through the desert pondering the old man’s words.  A voice whispered in my ear.  _Dark times are coming, Jacen.  Like they did when I was a boy.  I know that you will do what is right._ The village was finally in sight again and I walked until I reached the ship.  I went up the ramp towards my cramped quarters and opened the door, sinking down onto my uncomfortable bunk.  Yet sleep did not come easily.  I spent the hours looking up at the bottom of the top bunk.  At some time during the middle of the night, I heard Chop roll into the room.  He beeped out a greeting and I replied while not looking up, “Hey Chop.  What’s the matter?”  “Hello Jacen.”  It was my mother’s voice.

I froze at the sound and looked up to see a hologram of my mother.  She smiled sadly at me and said, “If you’re listening to this message, it means that I have passed on from this world.  I’ve told Chopper to play this for you when he thinks you’ll be ready to hear it.  I just want you to know that you’ll never be alone.  There are people out there who will be there for you.  You just need to open yourself to the galaxy and embrace the possibilities of life.”  My eyes were filling with tears as I listened to my mother’s words.  She continued, “I’m so sorry that I had to leave you sooner than I would have liked.  But I know that you’ll be okay.  You’re strong.  I couldn’t have asked for a better son.  I’ll always love you, and I know we’ll see each other again someday.  May the Force be with you in the years to come.”  The hologram blinked out of existence and it was just Chopper and I sitting in the darkness.

Fulcrum found me the next morning in the same place I had been the entire night.  Sitting on my bunk with my head in my hands and tears streaming down my face.  She knelt down in front of me and said, “I told Chopper you were ready to hear the message.  You are ready.  It’s time for you to rejoin the fight.  The galaxy needs you.”  I replied dejectedly, “The Senate won’t listen.  We brought them a trove of evidence and they didn’t care.”  Fulcrum said adamantly, “If they won’t listen, then we take the fight to the First Order.  They killed your mother.  They will kill many other mothers, fathers, and children as they sweep through the galaxy.  Are you willing to fight them?  To stop them?”  I stared at her for some time before nodding resolutely and I replied, “What's next for us?  Where do we go now?”  She answered, “To find the Chiss Ascendancy.”


	20. Chapter 18 - Mechanical Malfunctions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I sat behind the controls of Sparky as we flew through Jakku’s atmosphere.  Fulcrum sat beside me in the co-pilot’s chair.  She said, “The map Tekka gave us gives us a starting point to look for the Chiss.”  I scoffed a bit and replied, “That’s a huge swath of space.  Why are we looking for the Chiss anyway?  Aside from Thrawn, I’ve heard the Chiss are the stuff of myth.”  Fulcrum replied, “Ezra Bridger spent years in Chiss space with Grand Admiral Thrawn.  He learned the language and culture.  Even fought with the Chiss Defense Fleet for a time.”  I rose my eyebrow and asked curiously, “Why isn’t Ezra on this mission with us if he’s such an expert on the Chiss?”  She answered, “Master Bridger has withdrawn from Resistance efforts.  He and Lady Wren are busy raising their newborn child.”  My eyes widened in shock and I replied, “They had a child together?”  She nodded and said, “Just this year.  A girl.  They named her, Mira, after Master Bridger’s mother I believe.”  I sighed and said, “I guess I can’t blame them for not sending a holomessage.  I was off the grid.”  Fulcrum snorted and replied, “It wasn’t that hard for me to find you.  Next time, pick a more inventive alias.  And all the good Samaritan work you did on Nar Shadda made you easier to locate as well.”  I laid in the course for the planet Kril’Dor near the Utegetu Nebula.  That would be our way into this area of space where the Chiss Ascendancy might reside.  I looked over at my companion and said curiously, “Why are you wearing that mask still?  We’re the only ones on the ship and I’ve agreed to join your Resistance.”  She replied matter of factly in her mechanized voice, “Anonymity is my greatest weapon.  If nobody knows my true identity, then nobody can reveal that information under torture or coercion.”  I shrugged as if to say, ‘suit yourself.’

The trip through hyperspace to Kril’Dor was long and tedious.  In the cramped compartments of the ship, I attempted to do a few saber drills.  I was disgusted with how rusty I was after nearly three years of seldom igniting the blade.  Fulcrum busily sent out messages to her contacts in the Resistance.  Between holocalls she said to me, “The Resistance is a small paramilitary force as you’ve likely heard.  We have a variety of small cells and agents working throughout the galaxy as well as a growing fleet.  Since the destruction of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Order, the Resistance has taken steps to protect the few remaining Paladins that survived the purge on Ossus.”  I asked her, “I was traveling with a Zeltron woman before I went into exile.  Luxa.  How is she … is she alright?”  Fulcrum hesitated a moment as though considering how to answer and finally said, “Luxani C’Ustos fought with the Resistance for a time, before retiring from her life as a soldier.  Said that she was going to search for someone that she cared about.”  She tilted her head and looked in my direction making her meaning clear.  Luxa had left to search for me.  I wondered where she could be now.  A wave of guilt crashed over me, and I replied, “Well someday soon, I’d like to return the favor.”

We exited hyperspace over Kril’Dor only for the ship to immediately jolt as though struck and lose its functions.  The artificial gravity was out as well as life support.  I grabbed one of the emergency breathers and pushed off of walls making my way through the cramped walkways on the ship.  Chop was still on the ground rolling around with his maglock.  I shouted to him through the muffled sound of my breathing mask, “Chop, see if you can run a diagnostic on the engines, I’ll see about firing up the auxiliary power system!”  We’d be in trouble pretty soon if I didn’t get this ship repaired.  We’d freeze or asphyxiate in the void of space, or we’d burn up on reentry when the tibanna rich gas giant pulled us into its gravitational orbit.  The Force _would_ find a special irony in killing me just as I started caring about rejoining the fight.  I got to the power room and set to work splicing wires together, shocking myself numerous times.  Fulcrum’s voice behind me said, “Try rewiring the Flux Capacitor Connector.  If it shorted out just as we were exiting hyperspace, it could have provided a surge which knocked out the power systems.”  I nodded at her words and set to work employing her suggested fix.  The auxiliary power came to life and I fell back to the ground with the artificial gravity restored.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  The auxiliary power would allow us to keep out of the planet’s gravity well and would provide basic life support and communication abilities.  But even dreaming of going to hyperspace with such low energy levels would be delusional.

Fulcrum sighed in annoyance and said in exasperation, “How have you survived flying this rust bucket?!”  I snorted and replied, “Luck and Chopper.”  It was true.  The astromech was a better mechanic than I would ever be, though I was more than competent.  I said thoughtfully, “We should be able to send out a short range distress signal.  The tibanna mining platforms on the planet should have ships that can tow us to their repair yards.”  Fulcrum tilted her head in what I could only assume was a sign of skepticism and replied, “Our mission won’t be very secret then.”  I shrugged and countered, “If you have any better ideas, be my guest.”  She paused for some time and then finally relented with a brief nod.  I walked over to the comm system and sent out a short-range SOS message.  We wouldn’t have to wait long to receive a reply.  A ship began flying towards us at a disconcerting speed.  Once it was in visual range I felt a knot in my stomach.  Clearly a pirate skiff looking for a score on a freighter.  One that they were likely hoping was hauling tibanna gas.  I felt my hands begin to shake and a splitting pain pierce my forehead.  I fell to my knees not understanding what was wrong with me at first.  Fulcrum rushed over to me and helped me up.  She said authoritatively, “You’re suffering from alcohol withdrawal.  But you need to get yourself together.  We’ll be fighting in a few moments.  That ship isn’t just coming for a friendly chat.”  I nodded my head, and immediately winced at the pain that caused.

I had my saber ignited and I stood ready at the docking port of the small freighter.  I heard the sound of another ship docking and the door whooshed open with a rush of steam.  A motley crew of Weequay looked back at me as they all pointed blaster pistols in our direction.  One of the Weequay, presumably their leader, stepped forward and said haughtily, “We got your little distress call and took time out of our busy schedule to come rescue you.  Least you can do is turn over your tibanna … since when did Jedi start guarding tibanna shipments.”  I scowled at the man knowing what he intended.  He was going to sell us out for whatever bounty on Jedi was floating around the galaxy.  I said with a snarl in my voice, “I’m no Jedi, which is unlucky for you.  A Jedi would hesitate before cutting you scum down.  I won’t make that mistake.  Put down your weapons and take us aboard your ship before I do just that.”  The Weequay shouted, “Men fire!  We’ll collect the bounty on his corpse!”  I ducked into the group of pirates, slicing them down with wild strikes.  I turned to deal with their leader and saw the incoming blast, but my shaky hands weren’t able to bring my saber up in time to block it.  I felt the sharp pain of a blaster bolt to my shoulder and saw Fulcrum shoot the final pirate in the boarding party.  I was sure there would be more, and I was not in an ideal condition for fighting.


	21. Chapter 19 - Pirates and Pretenses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

The halls of the pirate vessel were silent, yet I smelled a trap waiting for us.  We crept forward at a careful and deliberate speed, but the pain to my shoulder and the increasingly debilitating headache I was suffering from, threatened to send me into a state of unconsciousness.  Fulcrum braced me up and whispered, “You’re going to be okay.  Just stay with me.”  I nodded, and we continued along.  The halls were covered with every manner of bodily fluid and bits of refuse.  The smell was noxious, causing my eyes to water and my stomach to churn.  I held my blade in my left hand due to the wound to my right shoulder.  I wielded it in the ancient Shien reverse grip style that Master Tano favored.  I only tended to utilize that variant style when I was forced to use my off hand in combat.  A series of blasts from an automated turret peppered the hallway as we turned a corner.  My blade was a blur as I deflected oncoming blasts when Fulcrum sent a series of blaster bolts into the turret reducing it to slag.  I smirked in her direction and said, “Nice shot.”  She gave a curt nod in acceptance of my compliment.  It was at that moment that the last of the pirates decided to reveal themselves.

A concussion grenade hit the ground near us and knocked both of us aside like children’s toys.  I leapt back to my feet and took up a defensive position over Fulcrum, deflecting enemy fire back in the direction of the pirates.  With my damaged arm, I sent a blast of Force energy at the pirates toppling them.  In an instant I was upon them, slicing the criminal scum down.  I sensed that we were safe.  I rushed back over to Fulcrum to see if she was alright.  The impact of the blast had knocked the helmet from her head and once I was up close I gasped at who was under the mask.  Luxa.  She was still unconscious, but I cradled her body in my arms, and reached for a bit of bacta in the medback holstered at her waist.  I applied the bacta to her forehead and neck hoping that it would prevent any serious nerve or bone damage.  I lifted her up and began searching the pirate vessel for any area clean enough to allow her to rest.  I set Chopper to cleaning what passed for a medbay on this vessel while I held up Luxa.  My wounded arm spasmed in protest, but I managed to hold her up until Chop had disinfected the room, then I placed her on the medical bed and got ready to search the rest of the ship.

Sparky was a lost cause.  That ship would never fly in time for this mission, so I moved all of our supplies over onto the pirate vessel and detached Sparky from us.  With its engines cut, the baby freighter quickly entered the gas giant’s atmosphere and burned apart on reentry.  I held my kalikori tightly as I watched my home for this last year, burn up on reentry.  The cockpit of the vessel was abandoned and set on autopilot during our boarding action.  I could tell from one look that this ship was poorly maintained garbage.  I tasked Chop with making sure we didn’t crash into the planet as I went to the sublevel of the vessel.  This was where cargo would typically be stored on a freighter, but one could never tell with pirates.  I expected anything from a drinking hall to an armory, from a treasure repository to slave pens.  I climbed down a ladder and then immediately wiped my hands on my trousers to remove the disgusting grease and grime that had coated the surface.  I heard the rattling of a chain in a darkened corner of the hold.  Walking over cautiously, I saw a broken figure of an immense size.  It was a Talz, one of the primitive peoples native to the Pantora system.  It grunted out something in its native language and I knelt before the creature.  I said calmly, “Do you understand basic?  It’s okay.  I’m not with the pirates.  I’m not going to hurt you.”  I ignited my lightsaber and with a clean slice, destroyed the cuffs that bound the Talz.  It looked down at its hands in something akin to disbelief and then rushed towards me.  It pulled me into an embrace before letting me go and kneeling before me.  I smiled slightly realizing that I had made a new friend. 

The two of us climbed up the ladder of the ship and I rushed back to the medbay.  I found myself looking at a very awake Luxa.  She narrowed her eyes and said heatedly, “Why did you take off my mask!  Anonymity is important in my line of work, Syndulla!”  I held up my hands defensively and replied, “Your helmet got knocked off _Fulcrum_.”  I tried and failed to keep the hurt out of my voice when I continued, “Why … why didn’t you tell me?”  She hesitated and answered, “I … I don’t know.  I just wanted to distance myself from it all.  Not let my personal feelings get involved.  I wanted to see if you would rejoin the fight on your own.  Not because I knocked on your door.”  I sat down on a chair situated next to the medical bed and gently took her hand before saying, “And, what do you feel?”  She leaned upwards and pulled my neck down before capturing my lips in her own.  Our two foreheads rested against each other and she said, “That I’ve missed you, Love.”  Our moment was interrupted by a grunt from my new Talz friend.  Luxa looked over in its direction and said curiously, “Who’s the Talz?”  I answered, “I think it was a slave of the pirates.”  I turned to it and said, “Neither of us speak your language so we don’t know what to call you.  Would you mind if we called you Grunt?”  It inclined its head as though accepting the nickname.

Luxa, Grunt, and I walked towards the cockpit.  I asked Luxa, “What’s the next navpoint from here?”  She rattled off the numbers, “-4350.54 and 2830.59 … That’s the Utegetu Nebula.  And our doorway to Chiss Space.”


	22. Chapter 20 - Alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

The Utegetu Nebula spread out before us with brilliantly colored clouds of gas.  The blues, purples, and greens were breathtaking, and my two companions gasped at the viewscreen just as I had.  The charts said that the nebula was formed by an immense supernova.  I sat back in the pilot’s seat and began maneuvering the ship towards the hot gases.  This would be a delicate maneuver.  Nebulae were dangerous to travel through even when they had been somewhat charted, because of their everchanging conditions and weather patterns.  Unpredictable creatures like the Neebray and Purrgil were also known to feed off of the gases in these nebulae.  To make matters worse the Utegetu was largely uncharted.  I looked towards Luxa in the co-pilot’s chair and gently grasped her hand before taking us into the clouds.  In an instant the viewscreen was useless.  I couldn’t see anything.  Even sensors went berserk in nebulae.  I closed my eyes and let my feelings guide me.  I banked left and right.  I dove and spun to avoid dark creatures that I sensed out there.  They had a … hunger.  It chilled me to my bones and I could feel my teeth chatter.  I dodged the infant stars being born in this field.  Getting too close would cause our ship to dissolve into molten slag and boil the very air around us.  It felt like we had been flying for mere moments when we reached the edge of the nebula, but looking at the chrono, we had been flying for five hours.  Luxa was grinning at me and placed a gentle kiss to my cheek before saying, “You’re amazing, Love.”

We didn’t have long to celebrate.  In an instant, our vessel was caught in a tractor beam.  A capital ship with an alien design loomed above us.  Our comm rang out in an unfamiliar tongue, “Csei s carcir Ch'abcesit Ar'alani.  Vit'ecotis Ch'issinert lio'ci!”  The voice sounded female and roiled with tension bordering on anger.  I replied over the comms, “This is Captain Du- … Syndulla.  Our vessel was destroyed in the Kril’Dor system after we were boarded by pirates.  We fought them off and took their vessel.  We come in peace, but we do not understand your language.  Do you understand basic?”  I spoke with a calm tone devoid of all belligerency.  In the absence of a common tongue, tone of voice and body language were key.  Another voice broke through and I noticed a second and then a third capital ship nearby.  The voice was cool … chilling.  I felt as though I could hear the intelligence in his words, spoken in Galactic Basic.  “Captain Syndulla.  I apologize for the rude reception, but it is the policy of the Chiss Defense Fleet to detain any pirate vessels we discover in our space lanes.  We will release you now.”  The tractor beam was disabled but the voice continued, “If you would be inclined to pursue the purpose that has led you so far into the vast unknown, feel free to board the Chimaera.”  I sent back a bewildered response, “Who are you?”  The voice paused and answered, “My name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo.  But your mother would likely have referred to me simply as Thrawn.”

I sat back down in my chair in disbelief for a moment.  Thrawn.  Grand Admiral Thrawn.  The most brilliant strategist the Imperials had.  Mom always told me that Thrawn’s unlikely defeat and disappearance during the Battle for Lothal likely saved the Rebellion from being snuffed out.  Dad died saving my mother from _Thrawn_.  I felt a surge of anger but took a deep breath and calmed the energy roiling within me.  My feelings were likely written on my face, because Luxa placed a hand on my cheek sympathetically.  She said, “I know what you must think of Thrawn, but this is bigger than either of us.  A broker reached out to us.  The Chiss are making overtures.  Our enemy might be theirs as well.”  I gritted my teeth and nodded saying, “Scars from an old war aren’t as important as the future.”

I guided the pirate vessel underneath the bizarre alien ship to reach its hangar bay.  The design was not incredibly far removed from the classical triangular approach to capital ships.  However, its edges seemed to be far less angular than Imperial vessels with gentle slopes and curves.  A smart move tactically.  Shield energy was slightly better able to flow over the warship hull.  That was one reason why Mon Calamari cruisers were known to sometimes outlast Imperial Star Destroyers despite being unable to outshoot them.  Another tactical choice was forgoing the Imperial design of a highly elevated bridge.  It simply made the ship’s command center as well as the shield generators an obvious target farther away from the primary defensive turbolasers.  All the turrets on the Chiss ship seemed to be arrayed in optimal positions to lay down devastating crossfires and defend the ship’s weak points, few as there were.  My inner pilot marveled at the sight of the ship and its genius design.  Its underside was embossed with a stylized image depicting a fearsome looking creature.  The pirate ship finally reached the upper docking clamp inside the hangar and I stood up from my seat.  I resolutely clipped my lightsaber onto my belt alongside my blaster.  Luxa and Grunt stood as well.  I turned to Chopper and said, “Stay on the ship buddy.  I need you to keep the engines ready in case this is a trap.  Also …”  I hesitantly held my kalikori looking at it and handed it over to Chopper’s clamps saying, “Keep this safe.”

We walked down the boarding ramp of our vessel and were met by an honor guard of blue skinned marines.  They wore black dress uniforms with a blue sash crossing their torsos and an insignia on their arms.  It looked to be a shield with a blue seven-pointed star in the center.  I could practically hear Aunt Sabine’s art analysis in my mind.  _Shield indicating a defensively minded military force.  Blue surrounded by black, their race in isolation amidst the stars.  Seven points to the star signaling some importance to the number.  Perhaps the number of Chiss planets and colonies that first formed the Ascendancy._   I had to shake my head to break out of that reverie.  In shock, I saw an older human man with white hair and a white mustache at the head of the Chiss troops.  He saluted me and said crisply, “Captain Syndulla, Agent Fulcrum, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.  I am Commodore Vanto of the Chiss Defense Fleet.  Allow me to take you to the Admiral.”  I nodded and said with as much politesse as I could muster, “A pleasure to meet you Commodore.  We will follow your lead.”

The vessel was as efficiently run and staffed as any Imperial ship, yet there seemed to be more … soul.  The corridors hummed with activity as we walked past.  After a ride in the lifts and a walk down another corridor, we reached our destination.  A well-appointed conference room.  Thrawn was seated primly at the far end of the table wearing his Chiss Defense Fleet uniform.  While his face was the picture of impassivity, his eyes darted around myself and my two companions as though he were taking in every detail about us.  Plotting out our strengths and weaknesses.  It was disconcerting yet oddly fascinating to see that mind at work.  The human who had referred to himself as Commodore Vanto took a seat beside Thrawn on his right side.  The symbolism was not lost on me.  I took a seat across from them as did Luxa, but Grunt stood warily at the door of the room, flanked by two Chiss marines.  Luxa has donned her mask before we left the ship to maintain her anonymity.  She said through her mechanized voice modulator, “Admiral Thrawn, your reputation as a legendary strategist and tactician precedes you.  It is an honor.”  The Chiss Admiral quirked one of his lips in what could be described as a understated smirk.  He said in his calm and cool voice, “No need for flattery Fulcrum.  Our agents have been impressed by the spy network you managed to cobble together in only three years with precious few resources.  I am told that you are one of General Leia’s primary advisers.”  Luxa gave a slight nod and replied, “I have the General’s trust and have been authorized to negotiate on her behalf.”  The Chiss steepled his hands in thought.  After a moment he turned towards me and said, “Captain Syndulla, please allow me to extend my deepest condolences on the passing of your mother.  She was a formidable adversary, and I truly respected her.”  I acknowledged his words with a nod and simply saying, “Thank you for the sentiment Admiral.”  He continued, “Your father and mother were honorable foes.  Were it possible, I would have preferred to ally with them rather than fight.  However, circumstances did not allow that.  Your countenance certainly favors your father’s appearance.”  I gritted my teeth a bit at his words but let them slide.  Thrawn close his eyes and I could see years of anxiety and fatigue marring his face.  He let out a sigh and said, “I often disapproved of Imperial tactics and policies, yet I had to accept the bigger picture.  I allied with your Empire as an agent of the Chiss to determine whether they were an ally to be aided or an enemy to be weakened.  The Chiss Ascendancy faces many foes in the darkness of the true Outer Rim.  There are dark entities, warrior races that terraform worlds and kill all their inhabitants, swarms of large insectoid creatures that forcefully induct beings of every species into their hive mind, and oh so much more.  Now our borders are being probed by our common enemy.”  I narrowed my eyes slightly and asked pointedly before Luxa could cut me off, “What do you want?”  Thrawn displayed a tight lipped smile and answered, “An alliance.”


	23. Chapter 21 - Niica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

My mouth was agape to hear that answer.  Luxa interrupted me and said diplomatically, “The Resistance would be eager to discuss the terms of such an alliance.”  Thrawn replied almost ruefully, “I have the authorization of the Aristocras to oversee this … haggling over conditions.”  Fulcrum nodded and continued unphased saying, “The Resistance is short on funding and man power.  Any resources, ships, or personnel the Ascendancy can spare would be appreciated.”  Thrawn considered her words and fired back calmly, “And what does the Ascendancy gain from this partnership.”  I could almost feel Luxa smiling behind her mask as she said, “You know that the First Order is not solely concerned with your territory and you want a distraction to draw their attention away.  The First Order will inevitably come for the Core.  They want to recreate the Empire of old and destroy the Republic once and for all.  Yet without us to draw their attention they could greatly weaken your forces first leaving you vulnerable to the horrors you’ve described.  The New Republic Senate will not be the first to engage until it is far too late.  Instead, you have us to fight the First Order before they weaken you or become too great of a threat to us.”  Thrawn smiled a bit at her words.  I could see respect in his eyes.  The recognition of another impressive strategist.  “You understand the situation well Fulcrum.  The Ascendancy is willing to part with one corvette and sixteen fighters to bolster your forces in the immediate future.  We request that you use these forces to root out those that fund this shadow government inside the criminal and corporate sectors.  We will also offer a significant sum of aurodium towards this end.”  He slid a datapad over with a figure.  Luxa was trying to avoid giving any response, but I could sense excitement from her.  It must have been a large offer of the precious medal.  Luxa said calmly, “It is certainly a generous offer Admiral.  What conditions does the Ascendancy have for this aid?”  The Admiral chuckled and answered, “Aside from the requirement that you succeed?  The Chiss will be sending a tactical attaché aboard our corvette to represent our interests directly to General Leia.  This attaché … you will make sure no harm comes to her.”  There was a hint of real emotion in the Admiral’s voice.  He said into his wrist comm, “You may enter, Ziwan'iic'anuruoda.”  The attaché entered the room through a second doorway located behind Thrawn.  I was taken aback by how young the Chiss was.  If their maturation cycle was similar to that of humans and Twi’leks she couldn’t be older than fifteen.  She wore the dress uniform of a marine and stood at attention behind Thrawn and Vanto.  Fulcrum said politely, “The Resistance would be pleased to host a representative of the Ascendancy.”  Thrawn nodded and hesitated before adding, “There’s one final condition.”  He turned towards me and said, “You will train her.”  My eyes widened in understanding and I said, “She’s a Force user.”  Thrawn nodded and replied, “Ziwan'iic'anuruoda is my daughter.  A tactical and strategic prodigy, she will serve your Resistance well.  Yet … the Aristocras do not look kindly upon those gifted as my daughter is.”  I looked towards the girl and saw a twinge of sadness in her eyes.  An outcast.  I knew something about that.  I then looked back towards Thrawn and said resolutely, “I’ll train her.”  He nodded in relief and stood turning towards his daughter who had yet to say any words.  He broke his cool façade for a brief moment and pulled his daughter into a hug.  He said a few words to her quietly in the Chiss language before the two separated and the daughter saluted her father.  He returned that salute and she left the room beside us.  I asked her curiously, “What would you like us to call you?”  She answered nonchalantly, “Niica.”  I could hear the hurt in her voice despite her feigned indifference.  She would miss her family and her old way of life.  We had that in common at least.

Our group was escorted towards the hangar bay by Chiss marines.  We saw that a Chiss corvette was docked in the hangar beside the pirate vessel.  With the help of our escorts, we managed to move our supplies over to the new ship.  I knew that the Talz were an impressively strong species, but Grunt was able to carry more over than any ten of the Chiss.  The old battle-scarred pirate skiff was then detached and used for target practice as it was good for little else.  An honor guard of twenty Chiss marines and four Chiss pilots joined their attaché, marching up the ship’s ramp.  I turned to my new student and asked curiously, “Does the ship have a name?”  She nodded and said in shaky basic, “Yes ship has name.  _Ch'etecerca_.  How you would say … huntress?”  I grinned at that.  The Force worked in mysterious ways.  I replied, “A good name for an amazing ship.”  This corvette was a good deal larger than the old Huntress.  Its armaments were worlds better.  There was so much alien tech that I couldn’t even figure out how to use.  But I looked forward to learning.  Two Chiss fighters were docked with the ship and could be released as support in a fight.  The fighters looked amazing.  They had a spherical pod similar to that of a TIE fighter with twin wings that had two prongs apiece acting as laser cannons.  It also had a couple of proton torpedo launchers, a basic hyperdrive and impressive shielding.  Better than modern New Republic X-Wings.

I walked towards my new quarters aboard the ship.  Chopper was waiting inside for me and used his clamps to hand the Kalikori back to me.  I smiled and patted him on the dome saying, “Good job Chop.”  I placed the Kalikori, my blaster, and the small amount of credits I hadn’t blown over these last three years into a small desk compartment.  The room itself was utilitarian yet comfortable.  The lighting was off as though it were meant for eyes that interpreted color and light on a different spectrum, yet I was sure I could get used to it.  There was a bunk bed, a desk that doubled as a dresser and a data terminal.  And there was a small private refresher attached to the room.  I walked out of the room with my saber holstered at my hip and made my way towards the bridge to speak with the pilots.  They saluted me and the female Chiss sitting in the pilot’s chair said, “Lieutenant Azmel’un- … I mean Lieutenant Luna reporting sir.  Admiral Thrawn recommended that we create abridged versions of our names to facilitate communication.”  I nodded in appreciation and she continued.  “Where to Commander?”  I rose my eyebrow and asked in surprise, “Commander?”  She nodded and answered, “Admiral Thrawn has placed Azure Squadron, made up of this corvette and our fighter squadron, under your direct command.  You have duly received the Chiss rank of Commander.”  Her words came as a shock to me, but I managed to say, “Take us on the safest route out of the Utegetu Nebula, Lieutenant.”  I looked over towards Luxa who stood in the far corner of the bridge wearing her mask.  I then said, “Once you exit the nebula, ask Fulcrum for our destination.”  Luxa gave me an appreciative nod and I left the bridge.

I found my new student poring over data readouts.  She turned to me and said, “Calibrating system stealth.”  I replied, “You are calibrating the stealth systems.”  She nodded and repeated hesitantly, “I are … no, am calibrating the stealth system.”  She shook her head in annoyance and exclaimed, “Your language confusing.”  I chuckled and nodded replying, “Yes it can be.  Galactic Basic was created as a common tongue between the various core species that formed the original Republic.  It is an amalgamation of grammatical rules and words from dozens of different sentient lifeforms.”  She nodded in understanding.  I turned to leave but then said, "Niica, we'll begin training in the cargo bay around 0600.  She nodded and snapped off a salute before going back to her work diligently.


	24. Chapter 22 - Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I sat cross legged on my bed with my eyes closed trying in vain to meditate and focus my mind.  _I was in the void of space gasping for breath.  I could feel frost beginning to form on my skin and I could see friends and family around me.  Mom and the father I never knew floated beside each other into the abyss.  Luxa was reaching out for me but couldn’t say a word in the vacuum.  Niica looked on in terror, afraid to die alone in the vast expanse of space.  The young Twi’lek woman I had failed to save so many years before looked on in disapproval and spoke in my mind.  “You are a failure.  Your inaction and lack of foresight has doomed all those you love.  Go jump back into your bottle.”_ I jolted out of the horrifying vision to find that I held the old flask I carried for three years, in my left hand, and my lightsaber in the other hand.  I angrily threw the flask against the wall just as my door whooshed open.  Luxa walked in wearing her mask and engaged the lock on the door behind her.  She then pulled out a device and began scanning the room.  Finally, she turned it off and pulled off her mask saying, “The Chiss must trust us.  They don’t have any bugs in this room.”  I winced and said, “I didn’t even think to check on that.  You really are a good spymaster.”  She grinned at my compliment and settled onto my bunk sitting next to me.  She looked across the room towards the fallen flask and raised her eyebrow in question.”  I closed my eyes in shame and answered her unasked question, “It’s hard to give it up.  Oblivion can be a comfort in its own way.”  She looked at me warmly and said, “You know I’ll always be here for you right?”  I nodded with a small grin and replied, “I’ve never been happier to have had a bounty put on my head.  Otherwise I might not have met you.  Even if I still feel a twinge in my stomach when it’s going to rain.”  She snorted and asked, “Don’t you believe in the Will of the Force?  Weren’t we destined to meet?”  I shrugged and answered “I’m not sure.  But I believe in you.”  Luxa placed her hand on my cheek and pulled me in to a deep kiss.  I returned the embrace passionately.  I tossed my lightsaber onto the desk and lost myself in Luxa.  In this moment. 

I jolted awake laying down on my bunk feeling Luxa’s warm body nestled against my bare chest.  I smiled at her sleeping form and pressed a kiss to her forehead before gently extricating myself and sitting up.  Looking at the chrono, I was 0500.  I had to train my student in an hour.  Luxa stirred beside me and said, “Where are you going, Love?”  I answered, “I need to train our Chiss friend.  But before I go, I just want you to know that I …”  She held up a hand to stop me and smiled saying, “I know.”  I finished my sentence anyway.  “I love you.”  She placed a light kiss on my lips and replied, “I love you too, you big idiot.  Now go get ready.  The Resistance needs this alliance with the Chiss and training a Chiss in the ways of the Force is a great first step.”

I made my way through the ship towards the cargo bay.  I could feel roiling waves of anxiety within myself, and beads of sweat dripping down my face.  I had never trained anyone before and was worried that I’d be abysmal at it.  I didn’t want to let a young learner down.  When I reached the cargo bay, I saw that Niica was already standing at attention inside.  She saluted me.  I tilted my head and looked at my chrono.  It was 0515.  I asked her curiously, “You’re early.  How long have you been here?”  She answered promptly, “0400 Commander.  I have been reading through language texts since yesternight.”  I nodded with a small grin and replied, “Your basic has certainly improved, but the word ‘yesternight’ is a bit archaic.  Old basic.”  She thought for a moment and muttered “Archaic … ah antiquated.  Yes Commander.”  I sat cross legged on the ground and gestured for her to take a seat as well.  I said kindly, “No need to call me Commander, Niica.  I’m not very military.  My name is Jacen Syndulla.”  She rose her eyebrow in confusion and asked, “Are you not my superior?  Is there another term you would prefer?”  I shrugged and answered, “Jedi teachers in the Force tradition have historical been called Master.  But you don’t need to call me that.”  She shook her head adamantly and said, “In the Chiss Ascendancy, we acknowledge our superiors with a title of respect, Master Syndulla.”  I sighed and nodded in acceptance before saying, “Okay, let’s begin.  I’d like to begin by understanding any training you have received.  What experience do you have in using the Force?”  She answered hesitantly, “As a child the Ascendancy insisted that I serve as an ozyly-esehembo.  A ‘sky-walker’ or hyperspace navigator.  Force sensitive children are used for this purpose due to the everchanging hyperlanes of the Unknown Regions.  My father protested my assignment in this program and was eventually able to get me assigned to his warship as navigator.  Most Chiss force sensitives lose their abilities over time and only are blessed with the Third Sight.  Precognition.  My powers have not faded, and I have been able to accomplish additional feats such as acts of telekinesis.  The Aristocras wanted to study me due to my unique abilities.  My father has sent me away.  For my protection he has said.”  I pondered her words for a moment and narrowed my eyes before saying, “Your basic certainly has improved.” 

She looked a bit sheepish at that comment and replied apologetically, “My apologies Master.  A small ruse on my part to determine your abilities of analysis and your personality.”  Her foreign accent was gone, and in its place, a practiced and polished core worlds accent.  I wondered aloud, “And your conclusions?”  She said candidly, “You were patient and understanding, never betraying any sign of annoyance.  You offered helpful suggestions yet did not appear condescending.  You are indeed informal and uncomfortable with holding a position of authority over others.  Your facial expressions as I discussed my past indicate that you feel sympathy for the sky-walkers and disapproval for the actions of the Aristocras.  Your current facial expressions indicate you feel annoyance at being deceived and I do apologize.  It was merely a simple test to sate my curiosity.  I believe that you will be a good Master.”  I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed before I asked, “Where’d you learn fluent basic and pick up the core accent?”  She grinned a bit and answered, “Commodore Vanto has tutored me in basic my entire life.  He and Commodore Faro have taught me much.  Before I left, father insisted that I learn various accents.”  Throughout her answer, she changed accents from the Core, to the Expansion region, to the far Outer Rim, and even the specialized voice patterns of the Twi’lek people.  I shook my head in disbelief and finally said, “Okay, let’s move on.  Have you ever handled a laser sword?”  I tossed my lightsaber to her.  She shook her head but ignited the weapon and took a couple of cautious practice swings with the blade.  I then told her, “This isn’t just a weapon.  Reach out with the Force and listen.”  She closed her eyes and then jolted them open in surprise.  She exclaimed, “The crystal is alive.  It’s … singing.”  I nodded and replied, “The wielder of the blade and the Kyber Crystal form a symbiotic relationship.  They are one.  Remember that all living beings are connected.  That is your first lesson.”  She rose her eyebrow and appeared slightly skeptical of that.  She replied, “That sounds a bit too sinisterly similar to the hive minds of the Killiks.”  I shrugged and answered, “I don’t know these Killiks that you speak of, but I do know that the Force connects all living beings.  Life creates the Force and the Force enables life.  It is a duality of the universe.  And all those blessed with life are connected to the Force.  It binds everything together.”


	25. Chapter 23 - Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

We were three hours into the lesson and I was beginning to have a serious migraine.  I tried to ground out as calmly as I could, “No, the Force isn’t something that can be quantified or studied.”  The young Chiss teen shot back skeptically, “You have described it as energy Master.  Energy can be measured as it enters a system.  If we treat an individual as the receiver of an open system, the energy being drawn in should be quantifiable.  From the scholarly texts I’ve read, the Old Jedi Order was able to quantity the potential for Force sensitivity at the cellular level through blood tests.  I believe a simple energy study would also be possible.”  I said with as much patience as I could muster, “I’ve read the surviving texts from the Old Jedi Order.  There was a reason the Order fell.  Becoming bogged down in procedure and ceremony led to their downfall.  It disconnected them from the Force.”  I then took a breath and said, “Since we seem to be at odds on matters of spirituality with the Force, perhaps it would be best if I ran you through several saber forms.  When you are ready, you can build your own weapon, but in the meantime, you can use mine.”  I turned on the saber’s non-lethal stun setting and threw the blade to her waiting hand.  I grabbed a sparring stick I had brought with me and settled into a beginner stance.  I then took several slashes and blocks at the air and said, “Those are some of the most basic moves of Form I, Shii-Cho.  This style is all about unpredictability and disarming your opponent.  Try practicing those moves.  It’s fine if you don’t get them right away.”  I watched as she perfectly mimicked the moves I had demonstrated and looked towards me with a face that seemed slightly insecure and eager for approval.  She asked, “Was that right Master?”  I nodded and proceeded to show her further moves of Shii-Cho.  She similarly mastered them.  I asked her curiously, “You are mastering the form far more quickly than most beginners.  Do you have combat training?”  She nodded and replied, “Yes, Master.  I have studied Chiss martial arts since I was six years of age.  I have trained in various other martial arts found around the galaxy, but the Jedi Forms are largely new to me.  I have never seen combat out of a simulator.  I am eager to face the foe on the field of battle.”  Her face took on a determined expression.  Yet there was a quiver of something else.  Fear.  I tilted my head and said sympathetically, “It is okay to be afraid.  It is natural.”  She shook her head as though angry with herself and replied, “The Ascendancy has no time or use for fear!  It won’t bring our fallen back!  It won’t bring my m- … It’s pointless!”  Her voice wavered, and she seemed to be on the brink of tearing up.  I place a hand comfortingly on her shoulder and said adamantly, “Being courageous isn’t pretending our fear doesn’t exist.  True courage comes from facing down our fears and not allowing them to control us.”  She looked up towards me and breathed deeply for a moment before saying with a fierce determination in her voice, “Let’s move onto the next combat set Master.  I’m ready.”  I nodded realizing she needed to deal with these emotions in her own time, and we moved on to the opening strikes of Form II, Makashi.

Two hours later I bowed to my student and said, “Excellent combat form Niica.  We will drill through additional forms tomorrow.  We will also go over the basics of meditation.  You need not arrive so early tomorrow.  The lesson won’t begin until 0800 so you can actually get some sleep.  I know I probably won’t talk you out of showing up two hours early, correct?”  She nodded with a resolute expression on her face, but I noticed a hint of a smile as well.  She bowed as well and said, “Thank you for the lesson Master Syndulla.”  We walked out of the cargo bay and I received a ping on my comm.  Luxa said in the mechanized voice of her Fulcrum mask, “We have exited the Utegetu and jumped into hyperspace towards our next destination.  Come to the bridge when you’re able, Jacen.  We can discuss next steps.”  I replied, “Okay, I’ll be right there, Fulcrum.  Niica’s lesson just ended.”

I made my way through the ship brushing through bustling hallways until I finally made my way to the bridge.  The pilot and co-pilot sketched a salute to me, which I returned.  I then turned towards Luxa and asked, “Where are we headed next?”  She answered, “We’re headed to the old Rebel Base on Crait.”  I nodded, remembering that mom had told me about a base in that system.  Once when she was on leave, she brought home a piece of red salt crystal.  I’m pretty sure that Aunt Sabine still had that in her home on Lothal.  I smiled for a brief moment at the memory before shaking myself out of the reverie and asking, “Why Crait?”  She replied, “The presence of a preexisting base in good condition will decrease occupation costs.  The shields, blast doors, and communication grids were still in good condition since the time of the Galactic Civil War and did not need a great deal of repairs.”  I nodded.  It was a smart choice.  I wondered aloud, “What happens after we arrive?”  She answered, “We present the Chiss attaché to General Leia and receive our missions.”  The Chiss pilot said calmly, “Apologies Agent Fulcrum, but Azure Squadron will only be taking orders from Commander Syndulla or Lieutenant Commander Niica.  Those were the instructions given by Admiral Thrawn.”  I could feel Luxa’s annoyance, yet her face mask gave an air of impassivity.  She replied, “Understood Lieutenant Luna.  Commander Syndulla is a member of the Resistance, so there should be no issue with conflicting orders.”  Luxa brusquely left the bridge and I knew better than to follow her right this moment.  I still did not understand Thrawn’s decision to give me the rank of Commander in the Chiss military.  It would make more sense to leave the Chiss forces under the command of their attaché.  I was sure it was some sort of mind game.  Perhaps an attempt to divide my loyalty.  I decided to not think about that at the moment and just took a seat looking out at the blue tunnel of hyperspace.  For what must have been hours, I simply marveled at the beauty of faster than light travel.

Finally, I returned to my quarters and tried to meditate.  _I was deep underground in a series of tunnels.  The Twi’lek Centrist who continually plagued my visions and nightmares stood at the center of a crossroads.  I realized for a brief instance that I had never even learned the young woman’s name, yet her death was still shaping my connection to the Force.  Her eyes were entirely black, and she said in an ethereal, almost echoing, voice, “Join us Jacen.”  My mother, Luxa, Niica, and dozens of other people I knew and cared about began coming from each of the tunnels.  They were repeating those words.  “Join us Jacen.  Become a member of the Kind.”_   I jolted out of the vision wondering what it all meant.  All I knew with certainty was that the First Order wasn’t the only force of evil in the galaxy.

The next morning, I was in the cargo hold at 0550 and knelt on the ground with my eyes closed.  I heard Niica walk in five minutes later and exclaim in surprise, “Master Syndulla, you said that our lesson would begin at 0800.”  I grinned and replied, “So I did.  Our lesson does not start until 0800, but there’s no harm in some informal sparring practice until then.”  I threw my lightsaber towards her and I saw her return my smile.  I felt a flush of pride for being able to outsmart the young Chiss prodigy.  With a clacking of blades, she struck my sparring stick with the saber and our practice began.


	26. Chapter 24 - War Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.
> 
> I personally have very little love for the Sequel Trilogy, so this story will henceforth be diving into the realm of canon divergence.

The red orb of Crait loomed before the Huntress’s viewport.  It looked like a brilliant Heart of Fire gemstone suspended amidst the cold void of space.  As the corvette came in for its approach, we could see that the surface of the world was an intricate labyrinth of red crystal canyons and caverns.  Niiica stood beside me stoically at the viewport.  She said with a voice trying to not betray any nervousness, “Have you ever met this General Leia, Master Syndulla?”  I nodded slightly and replied, “At a few formal functions.  My mother and her traveled in the same political circles.  She seemed nice enough.  But she had an intensity to her.  A righteous resolve.  Like some sort of crusader.”  Niica continued with what I could tell was thinly veiled nerves as she said, “I have never been an envoy for the Ascendancy before.  I have read the treatises of the legendary Chiss Diplomat Fehlaaur'aitel'loro, the folly of Kl'ieutu Mutela, the histories of Lokir-ka of the Voss, journals of the Twi’lek Ambassador Vyn Asara, and of course, the transcripts of Senator Amidala’s many famous speeches before the old Galactic Senate.  Yet I still feel uneasy.”  I nodded understandingly and replied, “You feel a duty to represent your people well.  That is a noble aspiration to have.  And _I_ believe that you will do a fine job.”  I saw her smile slightly from my words and I felt a sense of genuine calm coming from my young apprentice.

Our approach towards the landing fields outside the base was smooth and we were on the surface of the world before we knew it.  The imposing sight of the base’s reinforced durasteel blast doors dominated the side of a red crystal plateau.  In front of the base itself, I saw soldiers busily using heavy duty construction equipment to dig trench lines and turret emplacements into the crystal.  Luxa, Niica, and I, along with ten Chiss marines marched towards the open blast doors.  I felt curious eyes on the squad of alien soldiers.  I had a feeling that the Chiss-Resistance partnership would not remain a secret to the neo-Imperials for long.  A familiar looking woman walked out of the base flanked by four soldiers.  She had a regal air to her as she walked forward in her utilitarian, yet elegant vestments.  General Leia stopped short about four meters from our group and said with a small yet guarded smile, “Hello.  On behalf of the Resistance, I am honored to meet our new Chiss allies.  My name is Leia Organa.”  Niica stepped ahead of her guard and bowed her head.  She said in her core worlds accent, “Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Lieutenant Commander Niica of the Chiss Defense Fleet.  I have been sent by the Ascendancy as an attaché to aid the Resistance in its efforts.  It is an honor to meet the esteemed General Leia.  Your victories on both the battlefield and in the Senate are legendary indeed.”  The General chuckled and replied, “Thank you, but the fights in the Senate seemed like a battlefield by the end.  Agent Fulcrum has informed me that the Chiss Ascendancy have generously offered us a corvette and a fighter squadron to supplement our fleet, as well as a significant amount of funds to aid our efforts.  Although I have to ask, is there anything more the Ascendancy can offer?  Our spies believe that the First Order is assembling a sizeable fleet.”  Niica appeared nervous for a moment, but took a calming breath and replied, “At this time, the Aristocras do not feel comfortable sending further direct military aid in what amounts to a foreign war.  We will only feel comfortable to provide more aid when the pressure of this ‘First Order’ is taken off of our borders by your own forces.”  Leia nodded understandingly although there seemed to be a hint of tension.  The General said with a practiced, amiable voice, “That is quite understandable.  The Resistance will succeed in aiding you in your struggles against the First Order.”  I had to practically clap at that verbal gambit.  Leia had managed to make it sound as though the Resistance were coming to the aid of the Chiss and not the other way around.  She then continued, “Quarters are being prepared for you as we speak.  We will be having a strategy meeting at 1800 hours, to which, you are of course invited.”  Niica bowed and said with an agreeable tone of her own, “Commander Syndulla and I will be honored to attend, General Organa.”  For the first time in the exchange, Leia looked at me and bowed her head before saying, “Please allow me to offer my condolences to you, Commander Syndulla.  Your mother was a war hero and a valued ally of mine.  What happened in the Senate after her passing was shameful.  We will make sure that she is avenged.”  I bowed my head as well and replied, “Thank you for your kind words, General Organa.”

My quarters in the base were austere.  There was a simple bed and desk.  I chose to leave my possessions aboard the Huntress.  Including my Kalikori.  It felt disconcerting being away from the family heirloom, yet that ship was going to be home.  This place would just be where we put into port.  And this port might very well fall to the enemy when the fighting began.  Taking a closer look, I saw an item on the desk.  It was a familiar looking wooden Loth-Wolf.  One that I had carved myself.  There was a small note pinned to it which read, _‘Glad to hear that you’re back Jacen.  Sorry I missed you, but since I was in the sector, I couldn’t leave my prized student without his artistic masterpiece.  Next time you’re near Lothal, come meet little Mira. – Aunt Sabine.’_ I smiled down at the note for a moment and gently grasped my carving.  I still remembered the days when I would see that Loth-Wolf on the horizon.  I could see a fierce look of protection in the eyes I had rendered and could make out every lock of its wind ruffled fur.  I then set down the carving.  There was time before the meeting to get a bit of rest.  I laid down on the bed after setting my chrono alert for 1600 hours, three hours from now.

My chrono alert went off and I opened my weary eyes feeling anything but rested.  I realized that the outfit I had favored these past three years was not proper attire for a military meeting.  I mentally slapped myself for greeting the former Princess of Alderaan in such a state.  I checked the room’s small dresser and was surprised to find a loose-fitting tan tunic and trousers as well as flowing brown robes.  After pulling on the clothing, my reflection looked similar to that of the old Jedi Knights.  The Paladins had favored practical clothing including bits of armor to prepare for a fight.  These robes could hardly be called combat ready, but they were certainly appropriate for any war council being held.  I opened my door to find my apprentice waiting for me.  I chuckled and asked, “How long?”  She replied, “Since 1500.”  I said apologetically, “You could have knocked.  I'm sorry that you just had to stand here.”  She shrugged and replied, “It is beneficial for leg strength and mental discipline.  Patience is a skill that Chiss children are taught to value.”  She took a look at my robes and nodded approvingly, saying, “Very good choice of combat attire Master Syndulla.”  I looked at her incredulously.  She explained, “Loose fitting around the arms and legs to allow ease of movement.  Hooded robe in earth tones, excellent for clandestine activities and blending into a crowd, yet easily removable for battle.  I found a similar outfit in my room.  I will wear it for training, but I felt a formal Chiss military uniform was more appropriate for this meeting.  Is this typical Jedi garb?”  I nodded, and we began walking towards the command center of the base.  After making our way through a confusing maze of corridors and up several flights of steps, we found a room filled with military officers and tactical monitors.  Most were hunched over virtual diagrams and the two of us settled in, kneeling in an out of the way corner, waiting and meditating until the meeting began.

Two hours later, we were met by the leadership of the Resistance.  Figures I recognized entered the room including, General Organa, Admiral Ackbar, Captain Wedge Antilles, Nien Nunb, Agent Fulcrum, Captain Solo and his co-pilot, the Wookie Chewbacca.  I was surprised and happy to see the familiar figure of Ahsoka Tano enter the room.  Her head tail still bore the scar of its lower half being cut off by an inquisitor’s blade from the Battle of Ossus.  I bowed to her and said with a great deal of emotion in my voice, “Master Tano.  It is so good to see you again.  I’m so sorry that I lost my way for some time … I let you do-”  She cut off my apology and hugged me saying, “It is good to see you too.  I missed you, my student.  I am proud to see that you have returned to us.”  I returned her hug.  We broke apart and Ahsoka looked towards Niica saying, “I see you’ve taken a padawan learner.”  She bowed her head to Niica and said, “You have a wise Master.  He will teach you well.”  Niica returned her bow and said, “He already has Master Tano.”

General Organa cleared her throat to signal that the meeting was beginning.  She said with the calm and commanding voice of a born leader, “The fortunes of our Resistance our rising each day.  We have received funding and reinforcements from … unexpected allies and have established a well-fortified base.  Our numbers swell every day as more recruits join up.  Admiral Ackbar, what is the state of our space forces?”  He cleared his throat and replied, “We have one modern capital ship bought from the Corellian Engineering Corporation.  Our contacts in the New Republic military have covertly donated two old Starhawk capital ships slated for retirement, and Mon Calamari sympathizers have retrofitted three of their cruisers from the days of the Rebellion.  We have eight frigates from the New Republic and various planetary governments.  Including the forces of our Chiss allies, we have ten corvette class ships, and we have about fifteen squadrons of fighters and bombers, most of which are from the Galactic Civil War.”  Antilles muttered, “It’s the beginnings of a fleet but an outdated one.  We can’t go toe to toe with the First Order fielding these forces.”  Captain Solo replied grimly, “Of course not Wedge.  So, we fight unconventionally.  Lead them into ambushes.  Divide and conquer like the good old days.”  The Wookie growled in agreement.  General Organa closed her eyes and said, “I wish it were that simple Han, but these forces fight from the shadows.  I believe they will be on to our tricks.  They’ve seen them all before.  We’ve had thousands of defectors from the New Republic military, but it’s not enough.  Not yet.”  Niica stepped up to the table and interjected, “The Ascendancy has observed that these fanatics fight with a startling devotion.  Prisoners we have taken seem brainwashed and unwilling to respond to any form of interrogation tactics.  Those blinded by ideology can be baited.  We must simply discover the correct form of bait.”  General Organa narrowed her eyes and asked pointedly, “What do you suggest?”  Niica took a deep breath as though steeling herself and answered, “Admiral Thrawn has suggested attacking their sources of income.  Imperial sympathizers.  Master Syndulla’s investigation three years ago succeeded in provoking the ire of the First Order.  If we could cripple their supply lines and stream of credits, they would be vulnerable.  They will lash out without thinking.  And they can be defeated.”  A flurry of protests went up in the room.  I heard one word repeated, “Thrawn?”  Ackbar stated angrily, “Thrawn was an Imperial himself.  He’s likely in league with the scum.”  I saw Niica silently fuming at these words.

Ahsoka held up a hand calling for silence and only after the bedlam had died down, said, “The plan is a good one.  I was on Ossus.  With a small strike team we destroyed an entire enemy Star Destroyer.  Unconventional tactics and fighting an asymmetrical war are the paths to victory.”  General Organa asked pointedly, “Will your Jedi be ready to fight with our forces, Master Tano?  They could provide a valuable edge to our commando teams.”  She shook her head adamantly and replied, “Those that remain are mostly half-trained children.  We are forced to hide on the edges of remote systems to dodge their cursed inquisitors.”  I spoke up, “Master Tano, there is plenty of room on the Huntress II for the younglings to train.  The ship is better defended with state of the art weapons systems and a full complement of marines.”  The Togruta Master pondered my words and finally said thoughtfully, “It is a generous offer.  As the net closes around us, this may be our only escape.  I will join you aboard your ship and we can find my students.”  General Organa closed her eyes and finally said, “It is decided then.  We will focus on securing and fortifying this system.  Han will work on securing supplies through his smuggler contacts.  Agent Fulcrum’s spy network will fight a war of finance and espionage with these Imperial sympathizers, and our Chiss friends will go find our lost Jedi.  Meeting adjourned.” 


	27. Chapter 25 - Leaving Crait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

As I was walking out of the war room, Luxa grabbed my arm and yanked me into a nearby alcove.  She said through the mechanized voice of her mask, “What were you thinking in there?”  I raised my eyebrow in bewilderment and she explained, “The Chiss forces are needed for striking out at Imperial targets.  Now they’re on a wild Bantha chase to find a group of younglings who can’t assist in any of our operations.”  I narrowed my brows angrily and replied, “These are innocent students.  You remember Ossus.  The survivors need to be protected so they can learn and grow.”  Luxa ground out, “This isn’t about saving a dozen or so kids.  This is about war.  With a single strike against Imperial supply caches we can save thousands of lives.  Sacrifices must be made.”  I growled out an angry retort, “I don’t believe that.  And the woman I thought I knew, didn’t believe that either.  I’m not trading the lives of these younglings for a hollow victory.  What has this Resistance done to you?”  Luxa let go of my arm and stalked off angrily.

I looked up and saw the face of Niica standing in an adjacent alcove she said quietly, “I was just making sure you weren’t in any danger, Master Syndulla.  I understand you have a romantic relationship with the Zeltron spymaster, but I would be wary of her.”  I froze in shock and asked, “Zeltron?”  She nodded and replied, “Of course.  I’ve read volumes on the topic of various mind-altering pheromones emitted by sentient species.  I noticed that I often experienced a feeling of abnormal contentment or happiness in this Agent Fulcrum’s presence.  The only common species of her size and shape with these types of positive pheromones are the Zeltrons.”  I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead.  Niica continued, “You are worried that I will reveal her secret?  I would never betray you Master, unless she posed a threat to my people.”  I nodded and asked, “How did you know that we had a romantic relationship?”  She said clinically, “The two of you gravitate near each other when in the same room.  Taken alone this could merely signify closeness or shared battle history.  Yet your body language when speaking to each other displays a great deal of affection.”  She paused yet continued with the hint of a purple blush on her cheeks, “Also … the rooms on the Huntress II are not completely soundproofed.  I … may have accidentally heard you as I walked through the corridor.  I blushed at that as well.

I quickly changed the subject, “Do you believe that she is right?  Am I making a foolish choice to safeguard the lives of younglings?”  Niica seemed to be contemplating my question in silence for several moments before she answered, “My father once recounted to me a Chiss military axiom he had shared with the Jedi General, Anakin Skywalker, ‘In war the goal is victory.  Not revenge, nor even rescue.’”   She paused and then continued, “In a state of total war, some compromises may be necessary for the good of your people, but my father always taught me to do everything in one’s power to protect the innocent.  In the year before my father’s defeat over Lothal, he went on a mission for the Galactic Empire.  He greatly risked his position as Grand Admiral and even his very life to ensure the survival of many ozyly-esehembo.  I believe that both on ethical and strategic grounds, ensuring the safety of the Jedi younglings is the more paramount mission.”  I nodded in appreciation and said honestly, “Your father sounds wise.”  She looked down and said sadly, “I know what you must think of him.  What all of them think of him.  You may not believe me, but my father has always done everything in his power to protect innocent civilian life.”  I reached out with the Force.  I had learned over the past few days travelling with the Chiss, that their minds typically were a maze with only surface emotions able to be sensed, but I could tell that Niica was sincere.  And I trusted my padawan.  I nodded my head finally and said, “I do not know your father well enough to judge him.  All I have are the accounts of his opponents.  One day maybe I can hear the other side.”  She smiled softly at that.

Luxa did not board the ship with us.  Ahsoka, Niica, and I walked up the ramp followed by the Chiss marine escort.  Ahsoka and Niica were having a discussion about the Clone Wars.  Niica asked, “What were the Clone soldiers like?  Chiss accounts are quite varied and contradictory on the topic.”  Ahsoka smiled sadly and replied, “The clones were as varied as any men.  There were hotheads and quiet introverts.  Devoted soldiers, individuals who deserted the army in favor of living their own lives, and even the occasional traitor.  I only realized years later that they were sacrificed as pawns.  Used as cannon fodder.  Born and bred to die.”  Niica seemed taken aback by the sadness in Ahsoka’s words and asked in confusion, “I thought the clones betrayed the Jedi during Order 66.”  Ahsoka shook her head and explained, “Darth Sidious controlled them with chips in their brains.  Some did serve the New Order willingly after the Fall of the Jedi.  Most were gradually phased out of service and retired.  In many ways, the tragedy of the clones was more poignant than the Jedi purge.”  I was moved by her words just as Niica was.

Ahsoka seemed impressed by the ship.  She whistled and said with a grin, “I remember the days when I rode around in an ancient souped up freighter with Master Skywalker.  You young kids have better toys these days.”  I chuckled at her comment and we proceeded to give the Togruta Master a tour of the vessel.  As we walked I asked, “Any word on Luke Skywalker’s Order?”  She shook her head regretfully and answered, “When we sent scouts to investigate the distress call at his Temple, Luke was gone, and all of the students were missing or killed.  You may have noticed everybody referring to us as Jedi.  With the New Jedi Order extinct, we are the de facto Jedi Order.  There is power and comfort in a familiar name.”

Ahsoka settled into quarters across from mine.  I saw her place a few items in her room on shelves and one that I recognized very well.  Uncle Rex’s old clone trooper helmet.  Before putting it in a place of honor, Master Tano held it to her head for a moment of sad reminiscence.  I placed a hand on her shoulder and said sympathetically, “I miss him too.”  She smiled at me and wiped away a tear before saying, “Most of my friends and teachers are gone.  They’ve rejoined the Cosmic Force.  Living to an old age is a blessing, but it can sometimes feel like a curse in its own way.”  I replied, “You aren’t old Master Tano.  I’ve read most Togruta live to more than one hundred and twenty years of age.”  She chuckled and replied, “There’s a spacer saying that goes, ‘it’s not the years, it’s the parsecs.’”  I nodded in understanding.  Distance traveled rather than time.  I hugged the Togruta Master and said adamantly, “Know this, as long as I draw breath, you will have at least one true friend in this galaxy.”  She smiled and said, “Thank you Jacen.”

I walked over to my own quarters and placed the wooden Loth-Wolf carving on my desk.  Ahsoka had told the pilots the last destination of her students aboard the Huntress.  Tython.  The instructors would send word through encrypted messages when they were about to move, so they should still be in the system.  If they weren’t then we would have our work cut out for us.

I was in the cockpit when the Huntress II exited hyperspace above Tython.  I looked out of the viewport in shock.  We had just jumped into a war zone.


	28. Chapter 26 - The Battle of Tython

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

We were seeing the waning moments of a very one-sided battle.  Three frigates were using all of their firepower to pummel a limping freighter, the Huntress.  In the next instant, the sky was filled with the blinding blast of the vessel being destroyed.  Ahsoka’s eyes were closed and she said in relief, “I sense my students and their teachers.  They’re alive on the world below.  The ship was being piloted by a droid.”  I hit the ship wide comm and said with as fierce resolve, “This is a search and rescue mission on the planet.  Fighter pilots be ready to launch when we’re in atmosphere to cover the corvette.  Marines meet me by the boarding ramp with full arms and armor.”  I marched from the cockpit followed by Ahsoka and Niica.  I then turned towards Niica and tossed my lightsaber to her saying, “Here, you’ll need this more than me down there.”  She nodded with a glint of steely determination in her eyes.  I drew my blaster and stood before the marines who were wearing their black body armor rather than normal dress uniforms.  They held alien looking blasters and blaster rifles that appeared to pack a serious punch.

We stood there waiting amidst the supply crates.  Waiting for the moment when the landing ramp would open, and we’d rush onto the world itself.  I turned abruptly and spoke to the assembled soldiers, “I understand that many of you might not want to be fighting so far away from home.  You might not want to die saving what is to you, alien Force users.  If we are quick and careful, nobody needs to die.  We are fighting to save innocent children.  That transcends species, governments, or allegiances.  I will not order any of you to follow me in this fight today.  All I can do is ask.  Who is with me?”  I was moved to see each of the marines take a step forward and snap off a salute indicating that they were in fact with me for the fight to come.  Niica whispered to me, “Impressive oratory Master Syndulla.  Tactical texts surmise that pre-battle speeches from commanders with rhetorical skill can improve morale by up to seventy percent.”  I chuckled and nodded with a small smile accepting Niica's statistical compliment.

The gangplank of the vessel lowered as we were still a dozen feet from the ground, Ahsoka, my padawan, and I all made the jump to the surface and began taking in our surroundings.  We stood in a small clearing surrounded by dense jungle.  The dead and charred stumps of trees in this small patch of open ground bespoke of a forest fire caused by lightning strikes.  I turned to Ahsoka and asked, “Where do you sense them?”  She closed her eyes as though trying to drown out the billions of living flora and fauna surrounding us.  She finally pointed in the direction of a river to the south, and we set off at a run followed by the Chiss marines.  I shouted behind us, “Squad by squad cover formation!”  I had just ordered them to advance in tiers with half of the forces hanging back to provide covering fire.  I took off at a full tilt sprint past the lush foliage and exotic animals.  With a single leap I traversed the ten-meter-wide river.  A squad of stormtroopers opened up on me as soon as I landed.  They were hiding in the underbrush.  My adrenaline took over and jumped amidst their unit, using my blaster with a series of quick shots to drop them all.  But they weren’t alone.  As I saw the Chiss crossing the river with Ahsoka and Niica, a dozen troopers led by two shadowy figures stepped into view.

Acting quickly, I pulled one of the fallen trooper’s grenades to my hand and used the Force to propel it a long distance amidst the new group of Imperials.  Half the troopers fell from the explosion and the blast drew the attention of the Chiss to the threat.  Yet the two figures simply began running in my direction.  I cracked my neck and grinned grimly in anticipation.  I used the force to pull a second blaster to my hand from one of the dead stormtroopers.  Not waiting for the Inquisitors to close the distance with me, I began to take shots with my blasters.  As expected the dark figures dodged the blaster bolts and then ignited red blades with the ancient style of vented cross guards.  I continued pouring on fire, knowing that I was doing little but distracting them from the main force, but that was enough.  I retreated further into the jungle reaching out to sense that they were still hot on my heels.  The dense rain forest was all but entirely darkened by the lack of sunlight penetrating the canopy of the trees.  Foggy mists and labyrinthine vines made it nearly impossible to navigate without reaching out to the Force.  I took an opportunity while out of sight to leap atop one of the sturdy branches above me.  All around I could sense life.  Birds whistled through the air and small animals scurried along in the brush.  Yet when the dark siders grew nearer, everything became deathly silent, as though the ecosystem itself knew of something evil approaching.

A voice filled with malice shouted out, “There’s nowhere to hide Jedi!  Your friends are already dead!  You’re next!”  I knew that they were lying, though I felt my hands shake.  Whether it was from anger or worry was anyone’s guess.  They were trying to bait me, and I ultimately decided to take the bait and see what they had in store for me.  With a flourish, I did a backflip and landed behind the two dark warriors.  I fired two blasts towards the one on the left who I could now see up close.  I gritted my teeth angrily to see he was a Twi’lek.  One of my people.  He deflected both shots with almost contemptuous ease.  He then grinned hatefully and said, “So, that’s the best that the esteemed half-breed Jacen Syndulla can do?  I thought your mother would have taught you how to shoot a blaster better.”  I felt my fury build up within me and I leapt the short distance to him, dodging his saber swings.  With a surge of rage, I unloaded both of my blasters into the figure sending his lifeless body to the jungle floor.  I then threw my blasters aside and pulled his red blade to my waiting hand.  His companion was a female Nautolan.  For the briefest instant I could see feeling in her eyes.  Sadness that the Twi’lek was dead.  And in that instant I felt guilt for cutting down someone who was perhaps her friend or lover.  But after that instant her eyes were filled with nothing but a rage.  She shouted out, “You’ll pay for that Jedi scum!”  Our blades clashed in an eruption of sparks.  I was unused to this clunky saber but fell back onto my classical training.  Muscle memory took over and led me through the Form V stances.  Block.  Block.  Dodge.  Powerful Counter.  Feint.  Block.  Counter.  My opponent couldn’t keep up and was cut down in a heap.  I deactivated the saber and ran back in the direction of where I had last seen the Chiss marines.

Once I had reached the clearing, I only needed to follow the sounds of a growing battle and ran towards its source.  I came to the ruins of an ancient and decrepit looking temple.  A half dozen saber battles and a fierce fire fight were erupting near the entrance of the building.  Red and white blades clashed in furious melees and the Chiss soldiers were steadily holding their own against the more numerous stormtroopers.  My padawan and Ahsoka were side by side in front of the Temple’s doorway battling two inquisitors with a flurry of quick strikes.  I could tell that Niica was beginning to be overwhelmed and ran past dozens of enemy stormtroopers, slashing as I went until I was behind the two inquisitors.  With one quick slice, I decapitated both of the inquisitors and took my place besides my two allies, deflecting incoming blaster fire.  The instructors at this Temple were engaged in saber combat with the various inquisitors but were slowly inching themselves back towards the doorways.  I shouted over my shoulder to Niica, “Hold this doorway!  It’s our only avenue of retreat!”  She nodded resolutely.  Ahsoka and I then ran forward and began aiding our allies.  The battle was beginning to turn in our favor as we cut down the inquisitors already engaged in combat.

Then the forces began pouring out from the tree line.  It was a full legion of stormtroopers and at least another twenty saber wielding inquisitors.  I spoke frantically into my comm, “Lieutenant Luna bring the Huntress to the roof of the Temple at our current position.  Call the fighters back to provide support and then dock with the corvette.”  She replied, “Acknowledged, Commander.  On our way.”  I shouted out to our allies, “Inside the Temple now!  Fighting retreat!”  The Chiss and the older veteran Paladins were no strangers to combat and were able to fall back to the doors in an orderly fashion.  I knew it wouldn’t be quick enough though to prevent the enemy from entering the Temple as well and slaughtering us.  Ahsoka, Niica and I were the last three outside the doors.  It was then that I made my decision.  I grabbed Ahsoka by the shoulder and said, “Take care of her.”  The Togruta’s eyes opened wide in realization just before I used the Force to push the two of them into the Temple.  I then closed the doors and slammed the blade of the inquisitor's saber into the ancient control console, hoping that it would hold the enemy for enough time.

I was completely surrounded.  One inquisitor wearing an admittedly intimidating mask stood at the head of his forces and shouted out in a mechanized voice, “You can’t expect to win this day, Paladin Syndulla!”  I smirked back and replied, “Oh, I don’t expect to win!  But I can lose well.”  His dark siders advanced.  I gripped my saber tightly in morbid anticipation.  It was a curious thing, anticipating one’s death.  The idea of all your memories flashing before your eyes was a bit ridiculous.  I just saw the people that were important to me.  Memories I had with them.  I took a deep breath and accepted what was to come.  Accepted that I’d never hold Luxa in my arms again.  Never again get into an exasperating debate with Niica.  Never again make art with Aunt Sabine.  That was when the first inquisitor came charging at me with reckless abandon.  A fierce blow with my saber struck the figure down.  My body moved with a mind of its own, dodging, leaping, twisting, blocking, striking, parrying, countering.  Before I knew it, five of the inquisitors were lying in a heap and I had pulled a second saber to my off hand.  The masked warrior was standing before me.  He said impassively, “Impressive skill with a lightsaber.  That talent would be valuable in serving Imperator Snoke.”  I snarled out, “Never!” and he chuckled before replying, “We’ll see.”  Our blades connected in a flurry of cinders, but his strikes moved with an inhuman speed and precision that left me reeling.  It was over when I lost my footwork on a log.  A novice’s mistake.  Embarrassing really.  A scream shouted out from my comm, “Master!”  I could see Niica being pulled aboard the corvette from the roof of the Temple.  I spoke calmly back into my comm, “Lieutenant Luna, I want you out of atmo as soon as everyone from the rooftop is on board.”  She asked hesitantly, “What about you Commander?”  I gritted out as the warrior loomed over me, “I gave you an order Lieutenant.”  She reluctantly replied, “Aye, aye sir … it was an honor serving with you.”  My vision darkened as the warrior sent torrents of lightning into my body.  I felt painful convulsions and the last thing I saw was the Huntress II escaping out of view.


	29. Interlude - Ahsoka's Remorse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

Ahsoka’s mind kept running through the moment when Jacen’s face had disappeared behind the Temple doors.  Ahsoka felt like a failure.  She should have seen Jacen’s sacrifice coming and stopped it.  It should have been her to stay behind.  The students and instructors were still shocked, but settled aboard the small corvette.  Niica was pacing anxiously in the cargo bay.  The young Chiss said determinedly, “We can’t just leave him!  He’s my Master!”  She punched a button on her comm and said, “Lieutenant, take us out of hyperspace.  We’re going back.”  Ahsoka activated her own comm and said resolutely, “Lieutenant Luna, belay that order.”  Niica turned on Ahsoka with a fury in her red eyes and said, “How dare you?!  I am a Lieutenant Commander of the Chiss Ascendancy and the leader of this task force!”  Ahsoka shook her head and said with a steely determination in her voice, “Master Syndulla made me promise to keep you safe.  And that is exactly what I intend to do.  That is why I am going alone.”


	30. Chapter 27 - Torture and Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter includes darker themes, including physical and psychological torture. If this type of content might upset you, it might be wiser to not read this chapter.
> 
> This chapter takes a great deal of influence from the excellent Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Chain of Command, which sees Captain Picard facing torture at the hands of the Cardassians.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter includes darker themes, including physical and psychological torture. If this type of content might upset you, it might be wiser to not read this chapter.
> 
> This chapter takes a great deal of influence from the excellent Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Chain of Command, which sees Captain Picard facing torture at the hands of the Cardassians.

My eyes jolted open and my body tensed forward.  I immediately felt a white-hot pain on my wrists and ankles, seeing that they were restrained to an upright metal slab by painful energy cuffs.  The blistering heat was intense, but I knew better than to even bother tugging against the bindings.  My mother and I had liberated slave ships that used these types of restraints on their captives.  A blinding spotlight was shone on me, so I could see little of my surroundings.  A familiar voice spoke.  The dark warrior.  “Finally, you’ve awakened Paladin Syndulla.  I feared that I had permanently damaged you on Tython.”  I snarled out, “Like you care, Sith scum.”  The figure stepped into view with his intimidating mask.  There was a long black faceplate with argentium detailing around dark optical visors that looked like bottomless pits.  I instinctively shrunk back from the figure and had to force myself to keep my face impassive.  I wouldn’t give this creature the satisfaction of seeing my fear.  The figure said condescendingly, as though explaining to a child, “Oh no.  The Sith died out over Endor.  We are so much more.”  I scoffed at that and looked down to try and shield my eyes from the spot light.  The figure said after a few moments, “I’ll leave you here to think about your future.”  I heard the whoosh of a door mechanism and the spot light was turned off.

Everything around me was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing.  I focused on my breathing exercises to calm myself when I was blind from all angles by blazing spotlights.  As suddenly as they activated, they deactivated.  Then they activated again.  It went like this for who knows how long.  Sensory deprivation and then hyper-sensory stimulation.  My stomach began to rumble, and my mouth went dry at some point.  I wondered if the Neo-Imperials would let me die from starvation or dehydration.  My question would be answered when a floating ball droid entered the room.  It looked to be a more modern version of the IT-O interrogator droids that the old Empire favored.  The droid inched forward and jabbed my arm with its needle.  I did not feel the effects of any sort of truth serum.  I figured that this was how they would artificially be feeding and hydrating me intravenously.

Some time later as the lights continued to go on and off, the dark warrior walked in.  Suddenly, the optical torture ceased and a normal lighting returned to the room.  I breathed out a sigh of relief.  He said with a voice full of faux concern, “I hope the conditions haven’t been too difficult to stand, Paladin Syndulla.  I would have thought your friends might have attempted to rescue you by this point.”  I gritted out a reply, “I ordered them not to.”  The dark sider’s mechanized voice chuckled as he said, “How very noble of you, Master Syndulla.  Then our time together won’t be interrupted.”

Time seemed to blur together into a dreadful pattern. The sensory torture followed by my intravenous nutrition, and visits from my captor.  Occasionally, novel attempts to break me were attempted.  My cell would be heated or frozen.  Once when I fell asleep, I awoke to the sensation of water all around me.  My cell had been filled with water that was drained out just before I had drowned from lack of air.  What must have been days later, the dark sider strode into my cell with four comrades who each ignited their crimson lightsabers.  The warrior in his mask said calmly, “How many lightsaber blades do you see Paladin Syndulla?”  I gritted my teeth furiously at the games he was playing, but said honestly, “Four.”  My teeth jolted and my body spasmed as the dark warrior sent torrents of lightning into my body.  He shook his head pityingly and replied, “Silly man, can you not see?  There are five.  Now, how many do you see?”  I stubbornly jutted my chin out and said with a snarl, “Four!”  This was met with another blast of lightning.

It went on like that over and over again.  One day, the warrior took his mask off revealing the face of a young man.  He couldn’t have been older than his early twenties with oddly familiar features.  He had reddish brown hair and the yellow eyes of one touched by darkness.  He said with an almost friendly tone in his voice, “Paladin Syndulla, I understand your current position.  I was once a pawn of the light.  A servant of the Force rather than its master.  If you see five lightsaber blades, I can set you free right now.  You can take up your rightful place as a Knight of Ren.  Otherwise, you will spend your few remaining days experiencing the worst tortures you can possibly imagine.”  In that moment I was unsure of how many blades there were.  Yet I managed to shout out with all of the power I could muster in my cracked and parched mouth, “There are four sabers!”  He snarled and replied, “I’m disappointed with your lack of vision.”  In an instant, he had ignited his blade and sliced through the bottom half of my right leg.

I heard a voice screaming out in pain.  I only distantly realized that it was my own.  I was left alone after that with no medical attention for my leg.  My body was going into shock from the pain.  A voice whispered to me, “It’s okay Jacen.  I’m getting you out of here.”  I opened my eyes and saw the face of Ahsoka.  I chuckled realizing that I had truly lost my mind at this point and was seeing things like a mirage in the desert.  Ahsoka grabbed both of my cheeks and said, “I am really here.  It will be okay.”  I figured even if this was an illusion it might be nice to imagine freedom for a bit.  With quick swipes of Ahsoka’s white sabers, she disabled the cuffs that held me in place on the durasteel slab and she caught me before I fell to the floor.  I hobbled forward weakly as she supported my weight.  We walked through halls and occasionally I would be braced against a wall as Ahsoka dispatched squads of stormtroopers.  Finally, we reached an airlock.  Ahsoka pushed me inside what looked like a fighter and prepared to get in herself before the dark figure approached without his mask.  Ahsoka turned to face him and snarled out, “Ben Skywalker.  I didn’t expect to see you turn traitor.”  The warrior fired back, “Master Tano, I've moved beyond my father’s pathetic teachings and was enlightened.  Now you seek to take my newest pupil from me.  I simply can’t allow that.”  The two clashed in a flurry of lightsaber strikes that I honestly couldn’t follow.  It ended with Ahsoka leaving a deep gash in this Ben Skywalker’s face before diving aboard the fighter, closing the hatch, and disconnecting from the airlock.  After we were away in hyperspace, the Togruta Master hugged me close and said, “It’s okay, we’ll get you medical attention, Jacen.”  I closed my eyes feeling tears run down my face as I admitted, “I could see five lightsaber blades.”


	31. Chapter 28 - Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

It took me a few hours inside the Chiss fighter to actually believe I was truly away from the First Order.  This was not an illusion.  Ahsoka placed bacta and bandages around the stump where my limb once was.  She then put bacta along my wrists and ankle where the energy cuffs had burnt and blistered my skin.  She couldn’t do anything for my shaking though.  I could still feel the tendrils of electricity coursing through my body.  I asked Ahsoka, “How did you find me?”  She answered, “Chiss comms have a low frequency tracking ability that leave pings where the comm has been.  It was simply a matter of tracking these pings through hyperspace jumps.  I had to find an opportunity to dock with the ship unobserved.  I got my chance when we passed through a nebula.  You know how they make ship sensors go screwy.”  I nodded.  She hesitated and said remorsefully, “I’m so sorry.”  I inadvertently let loose a disbelieving chuckle and replied, “What are you sorry for?  You saved me.”  She hung her head low and said, “If I had been quicker … your leg …”  I placed a hand to where my leg had been and winced feeling a phantom pain, as though it were still there.  I then looked at Ahsoka and said resolutely, “If you hadn’t come, I would be dead now.  Or worse.  The only person to blame is the man who did this.  You said his name was Ben Skywalker?  As in the son of Luke Skywalker?”  She nodded.  I realized why he had looked familiar.  I had met a fourteen-year-old Ben Skywalker at a formal event years ago.  He had attended with his mother, the Jedi Mara Skywalker.  We had only interacted briefly, but he seemed to be a kind and well-adjusted boy.  Ahsoka closed her eyes and said sadly, “We never found Ben’s body in the ruins of Luke’s Temple, but we hoped the two might have escaped together.  I never would have thought that Ben might have destroyed the Temple himself.”  I closed my eyes and asked, “Who else was unaccounted for?”  She thought for a moment and said, “I didn’t know all of the students, but General Organa and her husband, Captain Solo, were devastated that their daughter, Breha, was unaccounted for.  She was close friends with her cousin, Ben.”  My body shivered inadvertently, and Ahsoka took off her cloak before draping it onto my shoulders.  I managed to muster a small smile of gratitude and said, “We can’t assume that she has joined with Ben.  She might have managed to make it off world with Luke.”

Ahsoka seemed to be in deep thought before finally saying, “I’ve heard that the Resistance are attempting to use the Mandalorian scholar, Lor San Tekka to find the first Jedi Temple.  General Organa believes that her brother would have gone there as a place to hide and regroup.  He was always obsessed with finding it.”  I nodded briefly and said, “Lux-I mean Fulcrum …”  Ahsoka shook her head bemusedly and said, “Jacen, who do you think introduced Luxa to the Resistance and inspired her to take the name Fulcrum?”  I nodded in understanding and said, “Luxa and I went to see Tekka on Jakku …”  I whispered to myself, “Has it really only been a few weeks?”  I then continued, “Anyway … Luxa inquired after maps to reach the Chiss, but also about finding the Temple itself.  Tekka didn’t know the Temple’s location, but maybe that has changed.”

Our ship had exited hyperspace and was only one jump coordinate away from the last known location of the Huntress II according to the data screens.  Ahsoka contemplated my words before finally saying, “It is up to you Commander Syndulla, but Tekka could be a good lead.  Should we meet up with the Huntress II?”  I shook my head and said with a resolute glint in my eye, “There is no time.  Besides, we shouldn’t risk the younglings on a mission like this.  The First Order seems obsessed with Force wielders.  They destroyed our Paladins three years ago, and Luke’s Jedi Order not long after.  Then they managed to track down the remnants of the Paladins with the goal of wiping out or turning the students.  Their next move will be against whatever remains of the Jedi.  Tekka was a known associate of Skywalker correct?”  Ahsoka nodded and my eyes widened in realization.  “Those frigates were headed towards the south-western Inner Rim … Jakku.  Tekka is in danger.”

Ahsoka looked grim following my statement and said, “Okay, we’ll make the jump to the Huntress so I can drop you off and then I’ll collect Tekka.”  I shook my head adamantly and countered, “I’m coming too.”  Ahsoka glowered reproachfully at me and replied, “Jacen, you can barely move.  You need medical attention and a prosthetic.”  I sighed and said placatingly, “I won’t fight, but it will take too long for you to drop me off.  The First Order already has a lead on us.”  Ahsoka’s expression had a finality to it that would brook no argument.  She punched in the jump coordinates for the Huntress II and we went to hyperspace.

I felt the typical jolt and hissing of air as the fighter docked with the Chiss corvette.  Ahsoka climbed out of the cockpit and held out her hand to help me clamber out as well.  In an instant, my padawan was there.  It was usually difficult to decipher even the most basic Chiss emotions through the Force, but Niica’s feelings were open.  Sadness.  Guilt.  Shame.  And relief.  She hugged me in a tight embrace and said remorsefully, “I failed you Master Syndulla.”  I shook my head and patted her back saying, “No, Niica.  You made sure that the younglings made it offworld.  You followed my orders and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”  Niica seemed to notice my missing leg for the first time and winced in shock before shouting out to two passing Chiss marines, “Escort Commander Syndulla to the medbay and alert the medics!  On the double!”

I was helped onto a table in the medbay where I was poked and prodded with a variety of medical instruments.  Occasionally I would wince in pain or discomfort, but my apprentice was there the whole time holding my hand.  When the medics were finished, I looked up to see that my leg was affixed with a mechanical prosthetic.  I shakily attempted to stand up but fell forward.  I would have landed on my face if Niica hadn’t caught me with the Force and lowered me gently.  She then grabbed my forearms and helped me regain my footing.  I took several hesitant steps forward and managed to make my way towards my quarters.

Niica and the Chiss marines followed me to my door but stopped at the threshold as I closed the room.  I needed time to think alone.  The metal leg clanged loudly against the floor of the otherwise silent chamber as I sat down at the desk and began composing a couple of messages through the Holonet terminal.  The first was a congratulatory note to Aunt Sabine on her and Ezra’s baby, and a promise to visit when I could.  The second was a message to Luxa.  I rewrote and deleted messages a dozen times.  Some were apologetic, angry, or even apathetic with a simple mission report for the Resistance.  I ultimately left that message unsent and sat down on my bed hoping meditation would bring peace to my troubled mind.


	32. Interlude - Missions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

_Lor San Tekka:_

Lor San Tekka had made a breakthrough in his mission.  Ahch-To.  A water planet dotted with a series of small archipelagoes located in the Unknown Regions.  He grinned triumphantly feeling a cool dusk breeze blowing into his home and rustling the wooden sticks that hung from the entrance of his hut as a sort of entrance.  He whispered to himself, “This will begin to make things right.”  Lor had spent much of his life trying to understand his place in the world.  He had always felt out of place in Clan Tekka.  He was no warrior like the other Mandalorians.  In fact, he abhorred violence.  He didn’t look very much like his siblings with their olive complexions and dark hair.  In contrast, he had fair skin, strawberry blond hair, and blue-gray eyes.  He was thirteen years old when the Clone Wars dealt their deadly damage to Mandalore.  The ascendance of Death Watch and the death of Duchess Satine Kryze were seen as a tragedy by Clan Tekka.  The Tekkas were close kin to the Kryze family, but it would be years before Tekka’s adopted mother told him the truth.

He was the son of Duchess Satine Kryze and the Jedi padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  They had met each other in their early twenties when Kenobi and his Master had been assigned to protect Kryze.  Their acerbic debates and battles of wit eventually gave way to mutual respect, attraction, and eventually love.  An affair between the two followed.  But Obi-Wan had to return to the Order and Satine did not ask him to stay.  When she found out that she was pregnant, she sequestered herself away and ruled through representatives citing continued security concerns.  She then provided a safe and stable home for her son not wishing to force Obi-Wan to abandon his future.  Looking back, Lor remembered the Duchess visiting their family estates often and playing with him as a child.

That had begun Lor’s obsession with the lore and history of the Jedi, as well as the nature of the Force.  His scholarly curiosity sent him all over the galaxy from the ruins on Tython, the Holy City of Jedha, the Temple on Devaron, the crystal caves of Ilum, and dozens of other sacred sites around the galaxy.  He sometimes would wonder if his father had died in the Jedi Purge or if he was in hiding.  He would receive his answer after the Battle of Yavin when his death was confirmed.  Over the years Lor’s studies and his active role in the Church of the Force made him cross paths with the young Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.  The two worked together to unearth ancient history and became fast friends. 

Tekka missed his friend.  He missed his daughter.  And it broke his heart that it would put his granddaughter in danger to even meet him.  As he was mulling over these thoughts he heard the sound of transports.  Rushing out the door, he could see First Order ships zooming towards the village.  Acting quickly, he ran over to his BB droid.  Lor knelt down and said into the droid’s video recorder, “Hello I know this may not make sense to you right now, but I am your grandfather.  I am sorry, but I will be putting you in danger by giving you this information.  Yet it is imperative that you get this information to the Resistance.  I know you are capable of this.  The information is -9774.08, -5568.55.”  Lor hoped that the First Order wouldn’t intercept the droid but if they did, the fools might not realize that he had just spouted off galactic coordinates.  Tekka ran over to a small wooden chest that held his father's lightsaber within.  He smiled for a brief moment remembering when he and Luke had liberated the blade from Vader's fortress on Mustafar after the fall of the Empire.  Tekka then ran back over to the droid and popped open a compartment before tucking the lightsaber inside.  He then said, “Bring this data to my granddaughter BB-8.  And keep her safe.”

With that taken care of, Lor stood out in the open watching the shuttles touch the ground.  Out poured dozens of stormtroopers.  The villagers began to take blaster shots at the descending troopers who returned fire of their own.  Tekka closed his eyes sadly knowing that his quest for knowledge would cause the deaths of his fellow worshippers.  The only consolation was that they all knew the risks.

The battle was over quickly and Tekka’s comrades were rounded up.  A new shuttle landed, and a familiar figure strode down the ramp.  Caelo Ren.  Ben Skywalker.  Tekka saw that he wore his ridiculous mask.  An attempt to imitate his fearsome grandfather no doubt.  The creature stopped before Tekka and said through his mechanized voice, “Look how old you’ve gotten.”  Tekka stared back at the child he had seen grow up with pity and replied, “Something far worse has happened to you.”  The creature ignored Tekka’s comment and said, “You know what I’ve come for.”  Tekka stood stoically and replied, “I know where you come from.  Before you called yourself Caelo Ren.”  Again, the creature ignored his comment and said, “The map to Skywalker.  We know that you’ve deciphered the clues.  And now you’ll give it to the First Order.”  Tekka shook his head resolutely and said with a steely defiance in his voice that he was surprised he could still muster, “The First Order rose from the Dark Side.  You did not.”  Caelo snarled, “I’ll show you the Dark Side.”  Tekka countered, “You may try.  But you cannot deny the truth that is your family.”  Caelo chuckled before saying, “You’re so right.”  He ignited his lightsaber and cut through Tekka’s torso.

Tekka could feel himself leaving his body as he heard a voice say, “Kill the villagers,” followed by flurries of blaster fire and screams.  Tears filled his eyes and he could only hope that he hadn’t brought doom upon his granddaughter.  He lingered between life and death for some time when he heard a familiar voice over him.  He smiled weakly.  Ahsoka Tano.  He whispered, “Find my granddaughter.  Please protect her.  She has the key to making things right.”  He slipped away and felt himself slipping into the Force.  He saw two figures staring back at him.  Duchess Kryze and Master Kenobi.  He was home.

 

_Ahsoka Tano:_

Ahsoka felt tears running down her face.  She had been too late.  Dozens of villagers had been massacred and she held the body of Lor San Tekka in her arms.  She had not known the man closely, but he was a fellow scholar and by all accounts very kind.  His last words were about protecting his granddaughter.  Ahsoka reached out with the Force and was shocked to feel a familiar presence.  A familiar figure manifested before her.  Her old friend.  Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Ahsoka gasped in shock to see the old Master.  Obi-Wan looked solemnly at the body she held and said, “I failed him.  I wasn’t there for him as a father should have been.”  That shocked Ahsoka even more.  Obi-Wan then said, “My great-granddaughter lives in the shell of an old AT-AT a few klicks to the east.  I know you can protect her Ahsoka.  Please.”  The Togruta Master nodded and said with a tear running down her face, “I will protect her with my life Master Kenobi.  I won’t fail again.”  Her old friend dissolved into the night and Ahsoka set off into the desert.  She had a new mission to fulfill.

Ahsoka finally walked over a dune to see the fallen AT-AT and a girl sitting beside it.  Ahsoka walked calmly in her direction not wishing to frighten her.  Yet the girl appeared to be wary as she approached.  She stood and drew a staff.  A little droid whistled out behind her and she asked it, “Are you sure she’s a friend?”  The droid whistled an affirmation.  Ahsoka stood before them and said evenly, “Hello.  My name is Ahsoka Tano and I was a friend of your grandfather and great-grandfather.  What is your name?”  She hesitated, wary from a life of hardship on the sands of Jakku before saying, “Rey.”

 

_Luxa C'Ustos:_

Luxa walked through the halls of the Resistance base on Crait.  As she walked, the Zeltron passed the Talz named Grunt, who was marching along with a squad of Resistance troopers.  It had decided to join up after being brought to the base, but Luxa had other thoughts on her mind.  She was late for a meeting with General Organa and Captain Solo.  When she finally walked into the command center, it was abandoned save for the military couple.  General Organa said a bit impatiently, “There you are, we were getting worried that someone had delayed you.”  Luxa shook her head and then bowed saying through her mechanized voice, “Apologies.  I was caught up reading the latest intelligence reports.”  Organa asked curiously, “Any word from Syndulla?”  Luxa shook her head and said with a cold and clinical voice, “No word, General.  The Chiss force has been delayed and neglected to check in, my analysts believe that they may have faced attack by any number of threats located in the Deep Core.”  General Organa steepled her hands together and asked out of the blue, “Do you love Commander Syndulla?”  Luxa swallowed before finally saying truthfully, “Once.  He believes I still do.  I’m using that to my advantage.”  Leia nodded and said, “Good.  We need eyes and ears among our new Chiss ‘allies’ when the Huntress II gets back you’ll board the ship and resume your relationship with Jacen Syndulla.”  Han looked towards his wife and raised his eyebrow before saying, “Isn’t this all a bit too far Leia?  I knew the kid’s mom.  She was a good woman.  And when I met the kid years back he seemed nice enough.  This feels wrong.”  Leia’s eyes held a steely determination as she said, “Compromises must be made in war, Han.  Luxa, if it seems like the Chiss or Syndulla are planning to betray the Resistance, you know what to do.”  Luxa nodded and said, “Understood General.  I will do whatever needs to be done.”  Luxa walked out of the room ready to accomplish her mission.


	33. Chapter 29 - Demons and Dancers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

_The masked figure of Ben Skywalker stood before me with four arms sprouting from his sides and one coming from his chest.  They were the arms of some kind of insect.  Each held an ignited lightsaber and he cackled before asking, “How many do you see Master Syndulla?”_

My eyes shot open and I grasped for the lightsaber at my hip, but it wasn’t there.  I remembered that I had given my father’s saber to Niica for safekeeping.  Looking back, it was a good decision.  I couldn’t stand the thought of that Dark Side monster with his hands on my ancestral weapon.  I stood up from my bed and heard the clang of metal from my prosthetic followed immediately by a twinge of phantom pain that sent me to my knees.  I placed my head in my hands and screamed out at the Cosmic Force, “Why have you done this to me?!  You’ve taken so much!”  A voice whispered in my ear.  _It will be all right.  The Force has a plan for each of us, and I know you are strong enough to survive yours._   I called out, “Father?  What do I do?!”  That same voice whispered.  _Cherish every moment with your companions and learn from them.  Nobody is ever truly alone.  We are all connected through the Force._   I lowered myself onto the floor and closed my eyes letting myself fall asleep on the cool durasteel.

My eyes opened some time later and I could feel my drool puddling along my cheek on the floor.  I managed to crawl over towards where I had thrown my flask many days before and held it in my hand for several long moments.  Then I thought about Luxa and how disappointed she would be in me if I took that drink.  I thought about Ahsoka and Niica.  The people counting on me and pushed myself up to my feet shakily.  I walked over to the small refresher in the room and dumped the contents of the flask down the drain.

I walked out of my room and saw Niica seated on the opposite door of the corridor with her eyes closed as if in meditation.  After a moment her red eyes opened, and she said in surprise, “Hello Master Syndulla.  I hadn’t realized you were awake.  I was waiting here to speak with you.”  I held my hand out and helped my padawan to her feet before I said, “Go head Niica.  I’m listening.”  She lowered her head in remorse and continued, “I know you said that you didn’t blame me for what happened, but if I had just thought out the situation more clearly, I could have figured out some other way …”  I cut her off by saying sincerely, “Niica, I made a choice, and I don’t regret it.  It is my duty as a teacher and a friend to protect you.  And to protect all of the younglings that were in that Temple.”  She nodded at my words and said with a fierce resolve to her words, “We will make the First Order pay, Master.”  I chuckled but cautioned, “Do not rush to revenge or seek out fights recklessly.  That sort of folly is the path to Darkness.”  Niica nodded and grabbed my father’s lightsaber as though to hand it back to me.  I closed her hand on the hilt and said with a great deal of emotion in my voice as though I were parting with another limb, “I think you should hold onto that for right now.”  Niica protested, “It was your father’s weapon.  It should stay in your family.”  I shrugged and replied, “I think he’d want you to have it.”  She bowed her head and said with a shaky voice, “I-I will try to be worthy of it.”  I smiled at that and replied, “You already are.”

The Huntress II was just drifting in empty space waiting for Ahsoka’s return and we didn’t have much to do in the meantime.  The Force sensitive younglings and the few veteran Paladin Masters that remained had been settled aboard the ship and met daily in the cargo hold to study and practice.  I ran through saber drills with Niica as well, but I could tell she was taking it easy on me.  I wasn’t used to fighting with this prosthetic.  It made my reaction times feel off.  Most of the rest of my time, I spent in the cockpit with Lieutenant Luna and her male co-pilot, Ensign Uxobo.  Looking out at the vast expanse was peaceful in its own way.  Lieutenant Luna looked over at me and said sincerely, “It is good to have you back Commander … I am sorry that I left you behind.”  I smiled slightly at that and replied, “I had to order you to leave me behind, Lieutenant.  You have nothing to apologize for.”  She nodded, accepting my words with an expression of relief on her face.  She looked down at my metal leg and said, “I had heard …”  I cur her off and said, “Yes I lost my leg.  I may not be as good of a dancer as I used to be.”  I tried to put a bit of levity in my voice.  The Lieutenant’s face lit up and she said animatedly, “That may not be true.”

A few minutes later, I was behind the controls of one of the Chiss fighters that they apparently called the Nssis-Class Clawcraft.  Ahsoka had the other fighter on her journey to Jakku, so Luna sat beside me.  She offered a few brief instructions and guided my hands over the controls for a brief time before the fighter disconnected and we were free in space.  The engines roared to life and we danced a ballet among the stars.  I felt a genuine smile come to my lips.  One so real that it seemed to wipe away all of the troubles I had endured.  There was something liberating about flying in the void with someone beside you.  I could feel myself laughing with pure giddiness as I made the ship loop, spin, dive, and arc in fanciful directions.  I heard the soft chuckle of Luna as well.  After a time, I finally docked the fighter back on the corvette.  The two of us climbed out and I said with genuine gratitude, “Thank you so much Lieutenant.”  The Lieutenant broke her normally professional countenance with a grin as she said, “I knew that you could still dance fine, sir.”


	34. Chapter 30 - Bound for Crait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

Ahsoka’s fighter docked with the Huntress II a couple of days later and she climbed out along with a young girl that I recognized as Tekka’s granddaughter.  Then, a grappling hook shot out, and a small BB model droid repelled itself out of the fighter and into the ship.  I stood at the docking port and asked, “Where is Tekka?”  Her face fell, and I pulled the Togruta Master into a hug.  She whispered, “I was too late to save him.  It was my fault.”  I patted her back and said sympathetically, “No.  It is the First Order’s fault.  No one else.”  The girl cleared her throat and said with a touch of irritation in her voice, “Is somebody going to tell me what this is all about?”  Ahsoka looked towards her and said with sadness still tinging her voice, “Your grandfather charged me with protecting you young one.  That is something I intend to do.”  The girl shot an angry frown in Ahsoka’s direction and retorted, “I don’t even know this man that you’re talking about.  And I don’t need your protection.  I’ve been doing fine on my own for my entire life.  You’ve got the data from the droid, now if you can drop me off on Jakku, I’ll be out of your hair … er so to speak.”  I had to chuckle at the lekku joke.  Ahsoka raised her eyebrow incredulously and asked, “You _want_ to go back to Jakku?  The planet’s a sun baked hellhole.”  Rey scowled and answered angrily, “Maybe, but it is _my_ sun baked hellhole.”  I raised my eyebrow questioningly and replied, “There must be another reason.”  The teenage Jakku girl said with a touch of sadness in her eyes, “I’ve been gone too long already.  I only came because a squad of troopers saw me with you,” she pointed at Ahsoka and continued, “and opened fire.”  Ahsoka countered, “They weren’t after me.  At least not specifically.  They were after the droid that your grandfather sent to you.  And now that they’ve seen you with it, the First Order won’t stop hunting you.  You’re only safe with us.”  Ahsoka’s eyes met mine and continued, “With the Jedi.”  I felt a chill in my bones at hearing the word.  I had never thought of myself as a Jedi.  But with the New Jedi Order dead and most of the Paladins gone, doctrinal disputes seemed to be trivial.  We were all that was left of the Jedi Order.  Rey scoffed and said with a chuckle, “Jedi?  You mean the stories of mystical warriors who can alter your mind with a word and a hand wave?  The Jedi who can lay waste to armies, summon lightning, and move starships through the air?  Who wield the very heart of stars in their blades?  Sorry, but I’m too old for children’s stories.”  Ahsoka ignited her white blade and threw it down the hallway before calling it back to her waiting hand with the Force.

Rey had sunk to her knees in shock and backpedaled to the wall of the corridor with her mouth agape.  “J-Jedi?!  Stay back!  Don’t use your magic on me!”  Ahsoka sunk down on her knees as well and gently laid her deactivated blade on the floor.  She said calmly, “We aren’t going to hurt you.  We want to protect you.  It is what your grandfather wanted.”  The girl got to her feet and began to run.  I ran after her, not wanting her to hurt anyone or herself in her confusion.  She turned and with a look of fear on her face shot her hands out and shouted, “Leave me alone!”  I felt the wind get knocked from my lungs and I flew back through the air down the corridor.  I landed with a thud and a metallic clang.

My head was spinning, and I heard a groan of pain that must have come from my lips.  I shakily sat up and saw my padawan.  Her lightsaber was ignited and pointed at the girl threateningly until Ahsoka stepped between the two.  I somehow managed to stand up and muttered hoarsely, “It’s okay, Niica.  Turn off the saber.”  She did and rushed towards me, saying, “Are you okay Master?”  I nodded.  Rey looked at her hands in shock.  Her Force sensitivity likely came as a shock to her.  I heard Ahsoka whisper to her, “It’s okay.  I can train you to understand these gifts.  And to control them.”  Rey shakily nodded, accepting Ahsoka’s proposal.  Niica helped me to my feet and guided me towards the medbay saying, “We need to assess if you’ve sustained a concussion in that fall, Master.”  I nodded tiredly. 

Apparently, the fall had given me a nasty concussion.  I had to laugh at how the Force seemed determined to put my body through the wringer.  The medic insisted that I stay and rest in the medbay after chiding me for leaving so quickly after my operation. I closed my eyes and let sleep overtake me.  When I came to, Lieutenant Luna was sitting by my bed.  She stood at attention and snapped off a salute when she saw that I had regained consciousness.  I smiled and returned the salute before saying, “Hello Lieutenant.  Did you have something you wished to speak with me about?”  She shook her head and took a seat before replying, “Nothing except that we'll be making landfall on Crait in a few hours.  I just came to check if you were okay, Commander.  I then suggested that Lieutenant Commander Niica take a rest.  She was here all night by your bedside.”  I nodded thankfully to the Lieutenant and said, “Thank you.  She needs her rest.  The war ahead will be trying.  For all of us.”  Lieutenant Luna said resolutely, “We will follow you anywhere Commander.”  I sighed and replied, “Sometimes I don’t even know where to go myself, how am I supposed to lead this task force?”  Luna gently grasped my hand in hers and said sympathetically, “I know that you’ve been through hard times.  Everyone in this task force has lost someone in war.  We’ve all volunteered for this.  If you ever need someone to listen … just stop by the cockpit to talk.”  She smiled, and I returned the expression before she left the room.

A few hours later the medic gave me a clean bill of health and let me leave the medbay.  I walked through the corridors and paused at a viewport seeing the craggy red orb of Crait suspended amidst the cosmos.  I muttered warily, “We’re home.”


	35. Chapter 31 - Assignment to Ahch-To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I was the first down the gangplank of the Chiss vessel to the crystalline surface of Crait.  I took a step onto the uneven surface with a wariness born from a lack of confidence in my legs.  Niica and Ahsoka each caught up to me and took positions at my side as we walked towards the gargantuan durasteel blast doors that defended the Resistance fortress.  General Organa and her staff met us outside the base and I could see Luxa in her espionage getup.  I bowed my head and said respectfully, “General Organa.  We managed to rescue the Jedi padawans and their instructors.”  Ahsoka then stepped forward and continued, “We also retrieved a set of coordinates from Lor San Tekka on Jakku before …”  General Organa nodded and replied, “I know Master Tano.  My intelligence network informed me of a First Order strike on Jakku and the presence of their star destroyers in the system.  Tekka was the logical target.”  A tense silence followed before Leia finally said, “If the Jedi under your command are willing, I would assign you the mission of scouting out the coordinates and determining if Luke is there.”  Ahsoka said evenly, “Commander Syndulla and I shall confer and make a decision amongst ourselves.”  Leia took on a grim countenance at that response and replied coldly, “As you wish Master Jedi.”

I took Ahsoka and Niica aside a short distance away.  Niica said resolutely, “The Chiss task force stands ready to aid in the search if that is what you decide Masters.  I have received word that our fighter squadron has arrived in this system and can render further assistance.”  As she said that, Chiss fighters began descending through the atmosphere and landed at the base.  Ahsoka stroked her chin before saying warily, “I’ve known Leia Organa for many years.  She used to be an idealist, but in fighting this new war she has become frighteningly pragmatic.  I don’t approve of her assuming that the Jedi will come at her beck and call.”  I nodded in agreement but countered, “I agree, but if Luke Skywalker still lives, it will be important to find him.”  Ahsoka sighed in agreement and the three of us walked back to Leia.  I said to her, “Master Tano and I have agreed to seek out Master Skywalker.  We shall return with news of our findings-”  Leia held up a hand to stop me and said, “One more thing, you’ll be taking Fulcrum with you as a … liaison from the Resistance.”  I tensed up but nodded curtly, accepting the condition.

I silently walked back up the ramp of the Huntress II and made my way to my quarters aboard the ship.  I wasn’t there for very long before I heard an insistence knock on the door.  I sighed sensing who it was and used the Force to open the door from where I sat on the bed.  Luxa walked inside and locked the door before taking her mask off.  She had a look of concern on her face and rushed over to me, placing a hand on my metal leg.  She asked with what sounded like compassion in her voice, “What happened, Love?”  I closed my eyes wearily and said matter of factly, “A Sith.  Or something near enough to it.”  She stood up and sat beside me on the bed, laying a hand on me cheek before saying sadly, “This is why I didn’t want you to go, Love.  The Knights of Ren are too dangerous.”  She placed a soft kiss to my lips and gently pushed me back on the bed.  She then straddled my hips and said sensually, “I know how I can make you feel better.”  Something was off.  I could sense it.  Reaching out with the Force I knew that there was a thick wave of mood-altering pheromones coming from my Zeltron lover.  I steeled my will to shrug off the mental manipulation.  And I made a choice.  I said regretfully, “Not tonight.  I’m not feeling up to it.”  Luxa looked shocked by my response, but silently stood up and walked out of the room with a little nod.

I took a deep breath and went into the refresher to splash a bit of cold water on my face.  I donned the Jedi robes that had been in my wardrobe at the Resistance base and prepared for this day’s training lessons.  I made my way to the cargo hold through the bustling corridors, filled with Chiss marines, technicians, and Jedi younglings.  When I entered the large open space, I saw a dozen students working with their Masters, on lightsaber forms or moving objects with the Force.  Ahsoka and her new student were sparring with a couple of wooden practice swords when I heard Rey say, “I’ve always preferred fighting with a staff.”  Ahsoka nodded and allowed the girl to draw her staff that looked to have been crafted from bits of Jakku scrap.  I made my way over to Niica and said with a deliberate lightness in my voice, “It looks like our study space will be more crowded from now on.  Are you ready to begin?”  She nodded with a serious countenance.  I continued, “Today, I’ll be illustrating techniques for dodging and disarming an opponent when you don’t have a lightsaber.  Ignite your saber on its practice setting.”  She did as she was bade, and then I said, “Okay, attack me.”  She looked uncertain and said hesitantly, “Master you’re still recov-”  I cut her off a bit more sharply than I intended, “I thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.  This is important.”  Niica nodded accepting my order and struck out with a conservative stance.  She tended to fall back on the economical strikes of Soresu.  Since she was favoring this form, disarming her would be more difficult as she had likely calculated.  I dodged calmly with my hands behind my back to the left and the right allowing the Force to guide my movements and alert me to oncoming attacks.  With a leap over her back, I was inside her guard and managed with a grip on her elbow and wrist to arrest her arm movement.  She attempted a backward kick towards my torso, which I leapt above, and I wrenched the blade from her grasp.  I handed the saber back to her and she said with a look of determination, “Let’s try again.”

I managed to disarm her a half-dozen times even with the more sluggish movements of my prosthetic leg.  Finally, however, she began to anticipate my movements and my fighting style making my disarmaments more difficult.  She defeated me with a stun blow as often as I disarmed her.  I bowed my head to her respectfully and said, “You’ve done very well today.  Keep this up and you won’t need to worry about being disarmed in combat.”  She returned my bow and we began the second phase of practice.  She threw me my father’s old lightsaber and I gasped in shock feeling the weapon in my hand again.  I ignited the weapon and then she began attempting to disarm me.  My favored style of Djem So was based around turning your opponents attacks against them.  I waited for her to overextend herself and countered with a strike.  We went at it for some time, and it took her a dozen attempts before she managed to disarm me.  I was sweaty and breathing heavily by that point.  I laid down on the cool durasteel of the corvette floor panting.  Niica said eagerly, “Let’s try again Master, I think I can refine my form.”  I gasped out a laugh and said, “Give the old man a break kid.”  She gave a slight smile at that.

After that we spent some time discussing Jedi history and philosophy.  We focused on the early years of the Jedi and the various Force traditions it evolved from.  Information was sparse and much of what was believed to be known from the era was little more than legends.  But Ahsoka had often said as we combed the remnants of the Ossus Library, there’s always a bit of truth in legends.  We talked of the formation of the order as defenders of the Republic and its outer colonies.  Its evolving philosophy.  The first schisms.  The wars with the Sith.  The wars with the Mandalorians and much more.  Niica seemed to be fascinated by history and had read a great deal from Chiss sources, but those were limited on the topics of Jedi and Sith.  Niica said excitedly, “I read the mission debriefing for the world we are going to.  A likely site of the first Jedi Temple.  It’s an amazing thing.”  I nodded, but in the back of my mind, I wondered why the legendary Luke Skywalker, savior of the galaxy, vanquisher of the Sith, and restorer of the Galactic Republic would run off to exile on a remote water planet.  Skywalker was supposed to be braver and more devoted than the likes of me.


	36. Chapter 32 - Arrival on Ahch-To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

The blue orb of Ahch-To dominated the viewscreen before us and I said to Lieutenant Luna, “Scan for any structures and lifeforms on the planet.  We can restrict the search to the archipelagos unless Master Skywalker can hold his breath for an absurdly long amount of time.”  She chuckled at that and replied, “Aye, Aye Commander.”  After several minutes she said, “The scanners are picking up what appear to be archaic stone structures on an island in the planet’s southern hemisphere.  There are life signs on the island as well.”  I nodded and replied, “Take us down there.”

I began walking through corridors ready to get down to the cargo bay’s loading ramp when I felt a metal object bump into my prosthetic leg with an audible clanging noise.  I looked down to see Chopper.  I was surprised, he hadn’t been around much since my capture.  I bent down at his indignant beeping and patted his head saying, “Sorry about denting you buddy, I’ll fix you up later.  It’s good to see you again.”  The astromech gave a sad whirring noise.  I asked incredulously, “Ashamed of what?”  He turned on his holoprojector and I saw the face of my mother.  She was kneeling down and pointed out her finger in an admonishing tone, “You have one mission if anything happens to me Chopper.  Take care of Jacen.  You understand?”  I heard an affirmative beep through the holomessage.  It then blinked out of existence and Chopper moaned out mournfully.  I replied, “You didn’t fail at anything buddy.  You didn’t fail me, and you certainly didn’t fail mom.  She loved you.”  He whirred happily and wrapped his metal clamps around my leg in the closest approximation of a hug he could give.  I was happy to know that my little robotic guardian would be around more often.

When I arrived at the docking bay, I saw that Ahsoka, her student Rey, Niica, and Luxa dressed as Fulcrum were already there.  And an argument was brewing.  Luxa said with a chilly mechanized tone, “The rediscovery of Luke Skywalker is Resistance business.  _I_ will handle all discussion with Skywalker and ensure that we bring him back to Crait.”  Ahsoka said with an edge to her voice, “This is _not_ Resistance business.  This is Jedi business.  We will hear Master Skywalker out and not force him to do anything.  The Jedi will be taking the lead on this, _Fulcrum_.  Don’t forget who recommended you for your position.”  They looked towards me with slightly startled expressions as I walked closer, but I remained silent and waited for the ship to descend.  After an interminable period of silence, the ship jolted as it landed on the beach of the island.  I calmly walked down the ramp followed by my companions and looked up to see the rocky heights of the island covered with kelly-green grasses.  A decrepit set of stone stairs, which seemed to be little more than a natural extension of the rock face itself, led up to the highest points on the island.

I began walking up the steps one by one feeling the bracing cold winds whip past my small group as we ascended.  Niica said to herself curiously, “These stones are remarkably well preserved for such an old site.  I’d love to get a sample to date the island’s architecture.”  I chuckled and said back to her, “Whoever still lives in this Temple might not like you chipping away at the architecture kid.”  She had already dutifully taken out a small vibro-pick and sliced off a small sliver of rock before depositing it in an archaeological bag.  She looked up and said with a startled expression, “Did you say something Master?”  I shook my head bemusedly and replied, “Not a thing.”  My mechanical leg ached with a phantom pain and I winced, stopping in my tracks for a moment.  I gritted my teeth and continued the climb upwards.  We had almost reached the top when an amplified voice that seemed to be coming from all around us said, “Stay where you are!  Why have you come?!”  Ahsoka shouted out in response, “We have come to speak with Master Skywalker!”  The voice remained silent for a time before responding, “The Master has agreed to speak with you.”

We finally had made it to the top of the stairs and looked out on a series of stone ruins spread upon the hilly ground.  A young woman sat cross legged but leapt to her feet at our approach and ignited a purple bladed saber.  She said with a fierce intensity, “My Master may have agreed to talk with you, but if I sense you have any intentions to harm him …”  She left the threat floating nebulously in the air, yet her intentions were clear.  Ahsoka took a step forward and said in surprise, “Is that little Breha Organa?  I haven’t seen you since you were what, fourteen?”  The young woman said with a touch of annoyance and perhaps defensiveness in her voice, “I’m not a child any longer, Master Tano.”  Luxa stepped forward and said through her mechanical voice filter, “Your mother will be so relieved to hear that you have survived, Breha.  She will want you to return with us, so she can see you again as soon as possible.”  Breha gritted her teeth and replied, “I’m not playing soldier with General Organa’s personal militia.  My place is here with my Master.”  A tense silence followed, before the young warrior gestured impatiently for us to follow her.

We were led inside a decrepit stone structure and saw a figure inside.  It was a man that I recognized from the holos.  A hero to the galaxy.  Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.  Although in his current condition, he looked nothing like the stately, and sagacious warrior that has always been depicted.  His gray beard was bushy and overgrown.  His robes were threadbare and coming apart at the seams.  His prosthetic hand was gnarled into a damaged and misshapen claw.  I was shocked to see that both of his legs had been cut off and replaced with crude metal prosthetics that looked to be little better than pegs.  I whispered in shock, “What happened?”  Luke smiled sadly back at me and replied, “My son happened.”


	37. Chapter 33 - The Rise and Fall of a Skywalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

I knelt down on the floor of the hut as did Niica.  All of us were shocked by the sight of Luke and it felt as though the air had been sucked from the room.  Master Skywalker shakily stood up from his seat and inclined his head to my right before saying, “Master Tano.  It is good to see you again.”  Ahsoka rushed over to the wizened Jedi Master and placed her hands on his shoulders.  Her voice was shaky as though she were on the brink of tears as she said, “Luke … are you … are you alright?”  The Master shook his head and replied with what seemed to by the weight of the galaxy weighing down on him, “No.  I’m not.  My Order is dead.  My family is gone.”  He looked towards me and said, “Jacen Syndulla.  I knew your mother during the war.  Where is she?”  I felt a lump in my throat and answered with teary eyes, “You must have truly been out of contact with the outside world for a long while.  My mother died over Ossus, saving us from a First Order Star Destroyer.”  Luke seemed struck by the news and motioned for me to come closer.  He said mournfully, “Your leg … his work?”  I nodded, and Luke continued, “No doubt he wished you to join his Order, the Knights of Ren.  They prepare their initiates with what they call, ‘the crucible’.  They are forced to give a piece of their body and to sacrifice a loved one.  This demonstrates their resolve.  Their hatred.  And their fealty to their Dark Lord.  Take my hand, and I can show you.”  I gently gripped the old Master’s hand and then there was nothing but darkness.

_It was nearly a year following the Rebel victory over the forest moon of Endor.  Luke Skywalker had been seeking out caches of knowledge in what Palpatine had called Observatories.  These Observatories were stationed around remote corners of the galaxy.  On this occasion, Lor San Tekka had joined him.  The Mandalorian scholar was a wealth of knowledge, and Skywalker considered him to be a good friend after their many adventures together.  The two glided through space inside a pair of X-Wings.  Luke heard Lor mutter into his comm, “Flying is for droids.”  Luke chuckled and replied, “Come on.  There’s something liberating about being out here.”  Lor scoffed and countered, “I’d prefer feeling the ground underfoot.”  Luke saw the shadow world of Vjun stretched out before them and said, “You may rethink that when you see this place.”  Vjun was an ancient Sith fortress world and the ruins of at least one major Sith Temple remained.  The planet is shrouded in perpetual shadow by the never-ending electric storms that consume the atmosphere.  Nothing, but rock and oceans of acid can be found on the dead world.  Luke felt the cold shiver of Darkness even this far away in space.  He knew that Lor wasn’t Force sensitive despite his lineage and was grateful that his friend didn’t have to sense the pain that emanated from the world itself._

_The descent through the atmosphere was a bumpy ride as blasts of lightning ricocheted close to the two ships.  It was a relief to finally land outside the ruins of the pyramidal Sith Temple.  Luke and Lor rushed inside the building to get out of the acidic rain and the danger of stray lightning blasts.  Luke immediately felt even colder.  From the depths of the Temple he heard a female voice.  “The renowned Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.  You have been looting the Observatories of my Emperor.  And you shall pay for that.”  Two crimson blades ignited, revealing a female figure with fiery red hair.  Luke ignited his green lightsaber and said, “Lor, get back to the ship.”  He began to protest but Luke said firmly, “You cannot help in this fight,” and Lor agreed with his request.  Luke looked at the dark figure and said warily, “Who are you?”  The woman replied with a bitter snarl, “I serve as Hand of the Emperor.  Whom you slew over Endor.”  She leapt at Luke with the acrobatics of an accomplished Ataru practitioner.  Luke had difficulty deflecting the rapidly striking twin blades.  This dark warrior was skilled in the art of wielding a lightsaber.  Luke had the figure in a blade lock and could see her snarling face up close.  She had fair skin, wreathed in her fiery hair, and brilliant emerald eyes that at this moment were filled with pitiless hatred.  With a series of quick counters, Luke sliced through the hilt of one of the sabers and pulled the other to his waiting hand with the Force.  The dark warrior closed her eyes and said resignedly, “Finish it.”  Luke threw the lightsaber on the ground at the woman’s feet instead and began to walk from the Temple.  He heard a voice call from the way he had come, “Why did you spare me Jedi?!”  Luke smiled slightly and replied, “Everyone deserves a second chance.  Think on your future and live a better life.”_

_It was a year later before they crossed paths again.  Luke walked along the desolate sand swept dunes of Tatooine under twin blazing suns.  Every year that he was able to, Luke travelled to his Aunt and Uncle’s destroyed homestead on the anniversary of their passing.  He would pay his respects, get inside his X-Wing and leave the cursed world behind.  The students he had begun training on Yavin IV, needed him more than ghosts of the past did.  He smiled a bit thinking of the motley bunch that had come under his tutelage.  There was the Mon Cala historian, Cilghal.  She was first introduced to Luke, by Lor, since the two travelled in the same scholarly circles.  She was skilled with the Force and obsessively kept records of everything that occurred with this new Order.  Tionne was another Force historian that Lor had brought to Luke’s attention.  There was the bitter ex-Imperial prisoner from the spice mines of Kessel, Kyp Durron.  Luke had trouble keeping that one in line, when all he wanted was to use his power against Imperial sympathizers.  There was Corran Horn, fellow Rogue Squadron pilot, and before the war, a detective with CorSec.  Kyle Katarn, a former rebel spy with plenty of demons to work through, but a pure heart.  Kirana Ti of the Dathomir Nightsisters.  Streen an old, plainspoken tibanna gas prospector from Bespin.  And Tenel Ka, a Hapan Princess that Luke had saved from assassins.  It was through these students that Luke intended to rebuild the Jedi Order.  He could still remember words spoken to him after the Battle of Endor by Ben Kenobi: “You’re not the last of the old Jedi, Luke.  But the first of the new.”_

_Luke finally made it to the sands where Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were buried.  He placed Queen’s Heart flowers from Naboo on each of their graves.  Aunt Beru had always loved that bloom, although off world flowers were a rare luxury to purchase on Tatooine.  But Uncle Owen would always manage to make the purchase for their anniversary without fail.  While Luke was distracted, a voice rang out behind him, “Don’t move Jedi.”  Luke could tell without turning around that it was the dark warrior he had battled on Vjun.  He asked with a calmness in his voice, “Have you come to kill me?”  The woman hesitated before saying, “No, I want to talk.” Luke turned around and saw two ignited blades only a foot away from his torso.  The woman said with a mixture of confusion and anger, “My Master taught me to hate Jedi.  Taught me that they had plunged the galaxy into war and tried to assassinate him to gain power.  When I was a young girl, I went to sleep in the Imperial Palace fearing nightmares of the Jedi.  What ulterior motive did you have for sparing my life?”  Luke shook his head patiently and replied, “As a young girl on Coruscant you were frightened of the wrong thing.”  Over the next hour, Luke explained at saber point, the history of the Jedi and the Sith that he had learned of in old Jedi holocrons.  By hour two, the woman no longer held him at saber point and the two were simply sitting and talking.  Luke asked her, “What’s your name?”  “Mara Jade,” she responded.  Luke stood and began to walk towards his X-Wing before he turned and held his hand out.  He said imploringly, “Come back with me.”  Mara hesitated for several long moments but took his hand._

_Mara Jade became Luke’s apprentice and trained with him for two more years.  Kyp Duron hated the former Imperial student and one day that hatred came to a head.  Kyp had left his saber on its normal rather than training setting.  During sparring practice, he launched himself at Mara with a vicious anger, batting away her attempts to defend herself.  Luke jumped into the fray and in a moment of pure instinct, cut Duron down to defend his student and the woman he was beginning to love.  He wept that night for his friend that had left him no choice.  Mara came to comfort him.  She hugged him and stroked his hair.  She caressed his cheek to wipe his tears away and said, “You saved my life.  Kyp’s death wasn’t your fault.  It was his.”  She captured his lips in a sweet and tender kiss._

_A whirlwind courtship followed, and the two were married within six months.  The ceremony on Yavin IV was quiet and subdued.  A Jedi tradition of joining two Kyber crystals together with the Force.  However, as a galactic hero, Luke was obliged by his sister to have a large ceremony at the current galactic capitol on Chandrila.  It was a star-studded event, which Mara and Luke gritted their teeth to get through, but they were far too happy in marital bliss to mind all that much._

_A year later, Luke and Mara held their baby boy in their arms.  They named him Ben in honor of the man who started Luke down the path to become a Jedi Knight._

_When he was three, little Ben sat on his father’s lap in his X-Wing as they flew through the stars.  Mara’s X-Wing danced beside them.  Ben giggled at the twists and turns._

_At the age of five, Ben and his parents were at an archaeological dig of the Old Jedi Temple on Coruscant when his parents observed him moving pebbles with the Force.  His training began a year later._

_Luke and Ben sat on meditation platforms as Luke explained the Force to his son.  “A wise teacher of mine once said, ‘The Force is what gives a Jedi his power.  It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.’”  Ben asked inquisitively, “Is that why I can hear other living things when I quiet my mind?”  Luke nodded and replied, “The Force can grant connections and visions to those blessed with its power, but you must always be cautious.  They may not always be what they seem.”_

_Ben was nine when he began training with the other padawans.  His cousin Breha was there and she was the only one that could make him laugh and have fun.  The other students were so reserved and perfect.  His father was patient with Ben’s unruly power, but that just made him feel more like a failure._

_When Ben was ten he and the other students constructed their own lightsabers after finding Kyber crystals.  Breha’s blade was a regal and intense shade of violet.  His own blade exploded in his hands as two beams of energy vented out of the sides.  He stormed off in anger, refusing attempts by his parents to heal his burned hand.  When he constructed his second blade, he accounted for the roiling energy in his azure saber with side vents._

_After they had constructed their sabers, they began to train under individual Masters.  Luke wanted to train Ben, but Ben said no, and asked his mother Mara to train him instead.  She agreed.  Breha began to learn under Luke’s tutelage.  Mara understood the temptations of Darkness and helped Ben work through his anger constructively as they went on missions aiding the peoples of the galaxy.  For a time, Ben’s roiling emotions quieted themselves and there was peace in the Skywalker family.  Yet there were always the whispers in his mind._

_One day during sparring practice in the Temple, Ben’s powerful saber blows knocked a student on the ground and he readied his saber to land shock strikes to his cowering foe.  His father used the Force to tear the lightsaber from his grasp and exclaimed, “Ben, that is enough!”  Ben stalked off after reclaiming his lightsaber and heard the whisper, “You did well.  Strength is the only true path to power.  Coddling the weak is not a kindness, but a crippling.”_

_Ben had a new Master that would teach him lessons while he meditated or when he dreamed.  The mysterious voice called himself simply, Snoke._

_When Ben reached the age of seventeen he began to pester his parents for a chance to complete the Jedi Trials.  His mother knew that he wasn’t ready, and made this feeling known to Luke, but Luke made sure to be the one to tell Ben, he didn’t want to damage the boy’s relationship with his mother, and Jedi Master.  Ben was furious and refused to speak to Luke for months on end._

_When Ben was nineteen the voice told him that his parents had been deceiving him.  That they saw the Darkness in him from a family legacy that had been kept secret.  That he never would become a Knight.  Several days later, the Holonet was flooded with the revelation that Leia Organa and her long-lost brother Luke Skywalker were not simply the children of Padme Amidala and the Jedi war hero Anakin Skywalker, but rather the children of Darth Vader._

_Ben broke into the restricted section of the makeshift Jedi Archives that were reserved for Masters and tore through ancient texts and holocrons.  Dark voices spoke to him and taught him how to bleed his Kyber crystal.  Through an intense ritual of focusing on his hatred and aggression, Ben’s crystal changed to a blood-red crimson, and when he placed it back within his saber, a crimson blade emerged.  The texts and voices also spoke of a sacrifice of a loved one, as well as part of oneself, being necessary to prove one’s devotion to the Dark Side._

_That night, Ben marshalled his forces.  He had covertly been teaching many of the students the lessons that Snoke had taught him.  The Jedi Council was meeting in their chambers of the Temple, but Luke had yet to arrive.  Luke was walking through a courtyard when he saw a red blade with cross vents ignite.  It illuminated the face of his son.  Luke immediately knew what this meant.  He said sadly, “Ben … don’t do this.”  Ben advanced closer and said menacingly, “You’ve lied to me for years.  And you’ve held me back from realizing my true power.”  Luke shook his head and replied, “We were just trying to protect you.”  His son laughed bitterly and said with finality, “Draw your saber old man.”  Luke kept his hands at his side making no movement towards his blade and said with a resigned somberness, “I won’t fight you.  You’re my son.”  Ben moved his blade forward and cleaved through his father’s legs, sending him sprawling in pain on the ground.  Luke reached out his mechanical hand as if pleading with his son, but Ben just held out his blade, melting the metal and circuitry of the hand, and causing agonizing pain.  Just as he was about to land the final blow, an invisible grip through the Force stayed his hand and a voice yelled, “No!”  Before Ben recognized the voice, he turned and plunged his saber deep into the chest of his assailant.  It was his mother._

_He held her in his arms as she stroked his cheek lovingly.  She said, “Shhh … it’s okay.  I’ll be okay.  I’ll always love you.  Spare your fa-”  Her voice failed her.  Luke desperately crawled forward shouting out in horror as tears drenched his face.  He held his wife’s lifeless body in his arms._

_Ben was lost in despair, and rage.  He had just lost the one being in the galaxy that he truly cared for.  With one strike, he used his saber to slice his offhand from his body.  He then made ready to strike down his father when a violet blade caught his own descending weapon.  Breha had sensed the danger that her Master was in and came to defend him.  She said furiously, “What have you done Ben?”  He snarled, “I’ve thrown off my shackles, dear cousin.”  The two sabers clashed furiously in a deadly ballet.  The Council and the loyal Knights along with their students came out into the courtyard upon hearing the commotion, which fit Ben’s plan perfectly, his confederates were waiting in the shadows when they ignited their own red blades.  Many of the Jedi loyalists were cut down from the surprise attack, and due to a hesitation born from attacking one’s own student.  The Council held out longer due to their martial skill, but one by one, Kyle Katarn, Kirana Ti, and Streen all fell.  Cilghal, and Tionne were spared due to their excavation of the ruins of Jedha City, offworld.  Corran Horn was running X-Wing drills with the New Republic squadrons.  And Tenel Ka was busy leading the government of the Hapes Cluster.  Luke was too far in the depths of despair to even observe the carnage around him._

_With a vicious slash, Breha sliced off Ben’s saber wielding arm at the shoulder.  She quickly grabbed Luke in her arms and pulled him away from the massacre as a fire began to engulf the shrubbery and spread throughout the courtyard.  Breha led him to a modified, two-person X-Wing, and they never looked back._

I jolted out of the vision and felt unbearable heartbreak as though it were my own.  Luke’s gaze was filled with sympathy as he said, “I apologize.  Force melding can transfer powerful emotions as well as memories.”  I felt tears come to my eyes as I said, “You’ve been through so much pain.”  Luke said compassionately, “You are no stranger to pain yourself, Master Syndulla.  I saw your mother’s passing through your eyes.”  I nodded and asked, “Why did you come to this place?”  Luke explained with a gentle patience, “The Jedi Archives that we managed to cobble together on Yavin IV spoke of an ancient Dark Side cult that predated the Sith.  The Knights of Ren.  They were the first of the Jedi Knights to dabble with Darkness.  Ren was a Jedi Knight who broke with the Jedi Council and felt that all aspects of the Force would be necessary to defend the Republic.  Many followers joined him.  To illustrate their resolve, the separatists sliced off one of their limbs and lured their former Masters, into traps where they would be killed.  Ren argued that only by doing this, could they strengthen the Dark Side within themselves.  War with the Order followed, and Ren was killed.  But his dark cult lived on underground.  They were believed to be extinct, but the actions of my son were far too similar to the old rituals I had read of.  These forces of Darkness are shadows.  They strike wherever Jedi gather in large numbers.  We have sequestered ourselves here to rebuild.  To reconnect with what it means to be a Jedi.”

Luxa interjected, “That is unacceptable Master Skywalker, the Resistance needs you now.”  Ahsoka shot back, “Master Skywalker has been through enough.  We will not force him to make any decision.  He can determine his own course of action.”  I asked Luke calmly to quiet the disagreement, “What happened to the Masters who were offworld at the time of the massacre?”  Luke answered, “Tionne and Cilghal are here on the island.  They work with the caretakers.  Tenel Ka rules the Hapes Cluster as Empress as far as I know.  And I think Corran is still with the New Republic.”  I replied, “I think it’s time we took a tour of this island and uncovered what secrets it hides.  Then we can discuss what happens next.”


	38. Chapter 34 - A Plan Takes Shape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took awhile for this chapter to be released. I've been working on finishing my last semester of university, as well as job hunting.

I found my footing as our group stood and followed the wizened Jedi Master out of his hut.  The surrounding buildings were of a similar make: a cobbling together of chipped gray sea stones.  Amphibian creatures walked about busily carrying baskets of food and decorations.  Luke explained, “They are the caretakers.  Their people made a solemn promise, millennia ago, to watch over this Temple, or so I have been able to gather from my conversations with them.  I believe they are preparing for a religious feast.”  I nodded, and we continued our walk.  Carved into the hillside was the humble entrance of what appeared to be a subterranean Temple complex.  Luke and Breha entered the building and we followed.  The temperature was comfortably cool and a pool of water atop a mosaic scene dominated the room.  The only light within was provided my luminescent Kyber crystals embedded in the stone along intricate patterns.  Deeper and deeper we ventured into the Temple Complex until we finally reached a room with sun light. 

The room emptied out onto the side of the island’s main cliff face, a small balcony hung over the roiling ocean below and a meditative stone sat upon it.  Inside the room were two hunched over figures.  They both straightened up and I recognized them as Tionne and Cilghal from Luke’s vision.  They both held archaeological tools in their hands and had been carefully clearing ancient dirt off of yet another breath-taking mosaic.  The two of them bowed to Master Skywalker and our group, before Tionne said in surprise, “Master Tano?”  Ahsoka stepped forward with a smile and bowed as well, replying, “It is good to see you both again.”

The group settled in.  I saw Niica talking animatedly with Tionne and Cilghal about archaeology and history no doubt.  I stepped out onto the balcony and took in a deep breath of the salty sea air.  A familiar presence settled in beside me and placed her arm around my back.  Luxa said warmly, “It’s lovely here.  Want to settle down, build a house with a view of the ocean?”  I chuckled and replied, “I’ve always felt more comfortable up there,” as I pointed up into the sky.  Towards the cosmos.  Yet a part of my mind was wary to her.  I could sense the pheromones again.  Subtler this time than when she had tried to seduce me aboard the Huntress II.  I placed a kiss to her forehead and she leaned into my embrace.  She said earnestly, “You know that we need Luke and Breha.  Convince them to come back with us.  Please?”  I nodded and answered, “I’ll try.”  Manipulation and seduction.  Excellent tactics for a spy.  I was increasingly worried that I was the target.  That I was the person she was spying on.  A pain ached in my chest that encouraged me to shove away that thought.  I loved her, and she loved me.  She would never use me that way …

Ahsoka took me aside after Luxa had left and asked, “What are our plans Jacen?  What should we do about Luke?”  I paused unsure of how to answer before finally saying, “We can try and convince him to come with us.  Try to convince him that he can do greater good for the galaxy fighting alongside the Resistance.”  Ahsoka interjected, “And if he refuses?  Should we take them to Crait by force as Luxa would have us do?”  I shook my head adamantly.  “That is going too far.  Luke has sacrificed enough and deserves some peace if that is what he desires.”  Ahsoka gaged my reaction and nodded in approval.

Ahsoka and I walked towards Luke.  He looked towards us with a sad smile and said resignedly, “You’ve come to try and convince me I presume?”  I nodded and said adamantly, “The galaxy needs you Master Skywalker.  You’re a hero, a legend!”  He held up a hand to stop me and replied, “I was a legend it is true.  And because I was a legend, I believed that I was capable of anything.  I believed that I could reforge the Jedi Order of old on nothing but will.  I believed that I could teach and train a new generation of the light.  But I failed.  My arrogance and lack of foresight led to the destruction of my Temple and the deaths of my friends.  The death of my … of my wife.”  He choked up and tears ran down his face.  He continued, “The fall of my son.  I will not risk the few Jedi I have left in a war of darkness that we cannot win.” 

Ahsoka interjected, “Luke, do you remember when we travelled through the crystal caverns on Ilum?”  He nodded and replied, “Yes … five years after the fall of the Empire.  The planet was pitted and scored from strip mining for Kybers by the Imperials.”  Ahsoka nodded and continued, “We found the old Jedi Temple where all padawans would retrieve their crystals.  It was demolished, but even in all of the destruction, there were Kybers that the Empire had missed.  We are those Kybers.  We are those who remain, and more shall grow in time.  But if the First Order is allowed to rise from the ashes of the Empire, then there will be no safe place left.”  Luke seemed moved by her words and nodded his assent before saying, “We can depart from this world after the Caretaker feast tomorrow.  Perhaps it is time to rejoin the fight if I can count on fine Jedi such as yourselves to stand by my side.”  Ahsoka hugged Luke tightly and said resolutely, “You can count on us to stand by your side.  What is our next move?”  Luke seemed to think for several long moments before saying, “If I’ve learned anything from my time with the Rebellion, you need allies to win a war.  And I can think of two powerful allies I’d want by my side.”  I thought back to the vision and put into words his unspoken thought, “Corran Horn, and Tenal Ka?”  He nodded with a glint of determination in his eyes.


	39. Interlude - Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events, or locations within this story. All are owned by Lucasfilm, Disney and any other companies associated with Star Wars Rebels. This is merely a fan fiction inspired by the events of that series.

_Niica_

The Chiss apprentice had enjoyed her discussions with Tionne and Cilghal.  She had always been fascinated with history and archaeology during her studies.  The two Jedi historians had a wealth of knowledge and intriguing theories about the first Jedi that inhabited this world.  Were they members of this native species?  Visitors from the stars that had been drawn by a nexus point in the Force?  The two had a spirited debate on the topic as they had likely done in the past, yet no conclusive answer had been reached.  Niica looked at a piece of mosaic that they had just unearthed and saw something which intrigued her greatly.  A scene was depicted in which a figure sat down in contemplative meditation, yet in his hand was a blade.  A dichotomy between forethought and readiness.  The blade was surrounded by beams of light, yet they appeared to be drawn from the stars above rather than going out towards the stars.  Niica pointed this out, and the two Masters, were amazed that they had missed this simple detail.  Niica was her father’s daughter.  He had taught her a healthy appreciation for art, and for the cultural messages which lay within.  Niica could still remember the beautiful paintings and sculptures that her mother had created.  Father couldn’t look at them anymore.  He said that he could see every aspect of her personality and it was just … too painful.

Niica set off inside the labyrinthine corridors of the Ancient Temple as though a whistling sound was calling to her.  She ignited her Master’s lightsaber to provide light for herself in the encroaching darkness.  An unnatural darkness.  It seemed to undulate and reform around her, barely kept away by the Kyber’s light.  Furtive and ominous movements seemed just out of her eyesight.  As though with a mind of its own, the saber fizzled and died.  A voice chilled her spine.  “Niica … Niica.  Hello my love.  Why wouldn’t you join the Kind?  Why would you destroy us.  Your own mother.”  Her mother’s face came into view with the black soulless eyes of a joiner.  Pincers were coming for her.  With a yell the Force emanated from Niica in a powerful wave pushing the vision away.  She trudged on through the darkness using the Force to guide her way.  She had no path to follow.  No clever trick or strategy to take.  She was lost and would die walking in circles.  But she had the Force and she simply needed to put her faith in it.  Faith was difficult for one so grounded in logic.  But Niica followed her Master’s wisdom and reached deep within herself.  Niica’s path ended before a glowing light of silver.  She gasped at the crystal before her and heard a voice.  “The Kyber chooses the padawan just as much as the padawan chooses the Kyber young one.”  It was Master Skywalker.  He continued, “It is time for you to construct your own lightsaber.”  The young Chiss padawan cradled the precious crystal in her hands and in the next instant the Jedi Master was gone.

 

_Rey_

The young desert-born girl was out of her element.  The rains that poured readily from the sky that afternoon, were a startling sight and she held her hand out catching the moisture in amazement.  Looking out at the vast planetwide sea, the teen was shocked that there could be that much water in the entire galaxy.  Water was more precious than the most valuable scrap that could be found on Jakku and far rarer.  Her caretaker and master had taught her well as his scavenging apprentice to conserve every drop of water.  Unkar Plutt was a kindly Crolute alien that said her parents had left her with him for safekeeping.  But he would never reveal anything more about them, stubbornly refusing to shine light upon the slightest detail with the excuse, “Knowing more could put you in danger little one.”  Rey thought back to her life on Jakku and hoped that her old friend and mentor had not been harmed by the stormtroopers.  The ball droid continued rolling after Rey and beeping annoying comments to her.  Unfortunately, she knew droid speech from her mechanical studies.  She replied to his comments frustratedly, “I don’t care who your master was, or if he was my grandfather, or if he wanted you to give me anything.”  The droid let out an irritated whirring sigh, and Rey heard the hiss of a compartment opening.  An object rose from within and she saw it.  A hilt that spoke to her as if calling from across the ages.  She reached over and grasped the weapon in her hands only to be transported to another time and place.  She was standing between gates of red fire and heard the anguished shout, “ _No!_ ” as a dark robed creature struck down a bearded man, both wielding swords of light.  She was then transported to an ornate throne room and saw a man cradling the broken form of a women.  He frantically called out, “ _Satine._ ”  She replied earnestly, “ _Remember my dear Obi-Wan, I loved you always... I always will._ ”  The scene changed, and she stared out upon a sea of lava hearing the words, “ _I hate you!_ ”  More visions flashed.  A metal monster struck down an old master inside a mechanical beast with a whisper, “ _… More powerful than you can possibly imagine._ ”  A young woman that seemed incredibly familiar grasped the same blade as an older man said, “ _Wield this blade with pride, daughter.  For you are a Jedi, Knight of the Republic._ ”  That same woman, only a decade older was wounded.  Dying in the father’s arms as he wept.  A dark assassin wielding red bladed daggers and with an alien face covered in purple scars stood over the two figures.  As the vision faded, Rey heard several final words, “ _Rey … These are your first … steps._ ”  She jolted out of the vision and dropped the saber backpedaling in terror.

The kindly Togruta Master was there and said reverently, “I haven’t seen that saber in … over fifty years.”  She pulled it to her hand and ignited the regal azure blade.  She fell into a defensive stance and went through a series of advanced moves saying, “Your great grandfather was a master at Soresu.  The defensive saber form.  A legend in his own time.  With training and patience, you can wield this blade.”  Rey turned away in fear and confusion before saying, “I don’t ever want to touch that … thing, ever again.”  She ran off across the island at a headlong sprint.  She did not know where she was going but she felt a tug in her gut pulling her somewhere.  Running blindly, she tripped and felt herself fall down a great distance.  She raised her hands to shield herself only to feel the rush of water around her.  It was an alien sensation that she had never experienced.  She tried to wave her arms to escape from the crushing liquid but felt herself sinking deeper and deeper.  Her lungs ached, and her mouth opened in a silent scream.  With great effort she clung to a rocky wall and clambered up through the liquid.  She heaved herself upon the ground and spat up torrents of salt water.  Looking around her surroundings, she saw that she was in a small cove.  A hole a few dozen feet above her was where she had fallen into this subterranean outlet to the sea.  It felt preternaturally cold here and she visibly shivered.  Her breath fogged in the frigid air as she stood up.  The wall mere inches in front of her face was a polished obsidian and she could clearly see her own reflection.  Reaching out she placed her palm against the black stone and whispered, “Show me my parents.”  She saw the face of the woman in her vision.  She placed her own hand against the stone as a mirrored image of her daughter and said, “The Force will be with you.  Always.”  Rey backed away from the vision and felt herself being lifted into the air.  Up and up until a hand reached down and pulled her from the hole through which she had fallen.  The kindly face of Master Skywalker looked down on her.  She shivered, and he placed a spare cloak around her shoulders.  Rey asked, “How did you know I was down there?”  He replied, “I sensed your distress.  Your confusion.  Sadness.  Fear.”  Rey looked down at her hands thinking back to the woman in the vision and she asked, “Did you know my mother?”  Luke nodded and replied, “Your mother was one of my students.  She was just a girl when I met her, the daughter of an archaeologist friend of mine.  But I could tell immediately that she was strong with the Force.  She was trained as a Jedi Knight in my Order for over a decade.  She fell in love with one of her fellow Knights.  But she was killed defending your grandfather a few years after you were born.  He … never forgave himself.”  Rey said sadly, “I wish I had gotten to know her.”  The two simply sat in silence for a time and listened to the crashing of the waves against the rocky face of the island.

  _Ahsoka_

The Togruta Master was meditating upon a rain-soaked stone as the water fell around her.  With the Force, she had suspended the water droplets around her, leaving herself dry for the moment.  She whispered, “Obi-Wan, I’m failing her.  I need your wisdom, Master.”  The voice of Luke sounded behind her, “The girl just needs some time, my friend.”  Ahsoka sighed with impatience, “You know I’ve never been good at waiting Luke.”  A familiar chuckle sounded nearby, “I guess you still haven’t changed, Snips.”  Ahsoka jolted as though shocked by electricity at the sound of her old Master’s voice.  Turning, she could see the spectral forms of Obi-Wan and Anakin.  She said while choking back tears, “Hey Skyguy.  Long-time no see.”  Luke had told her about his spiritual visions of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda.  But before seeing Obi-Wan on Jakku, Ahsoka had only heard the briefest whispers that could be shaken off as a billowing breeze.  Anakin bowed his head to her and said with deep emotions of his own, “Ahsoka … I’m so s-” She held up her hand and replied, “Don’t you dare apologize for anything.  You were deceived.  We all were.”  Obi-Wan said calmly, “You have done well Ahsoka.  My great granddaughter is out of any immediate danger, and I foresee that you shall lead her on the path to becoming a great Knight.  You have failed no one.  Certainly not me, or her for that matter.”

As quickly as they had appeared, the apparitions had vanished as had Luke.  In their place, Rey had begun to walk in Ahsoka’s direction.  The young girl said sheepishly, “If you are still willing to help, I was wondering if you would train me.  I want to be a Jedi like my mother before me.”  Ahsoka nodded with a small smile tugging at her lips.  She handed Obi-Wan’s saber hilt to the girl’s waiting hand.

_Jacen_  

I had grabbed a wooden branch from a proud and tall tree.  Using it as a makeshift blade, I was maneuvering through my saber forms.  The reaction time was still off.  Too slow or too fast.  Never right.  With a frustrated bellow I swung the stick against the tree leaving a jagged crack in the bark.  The frog nuns as I had decided to refer to them chittered angrily in my direction and a voice startled me, “They don’t like it when you hit the tree.  I should know.”  It was Master Skywalker and he pointed to a series of scars in the bark that looked to be several years old.  I turned to the Jedi Master and said meekly, “How long were you watching?”  He shrugged and replied, “Long enough.”  I looked down, ashamed and said, “I will never fight like I used to.  I’m broken.”  The Jedi Master replied, “Look down at your hands.”  I could see that they were shaking.  My knees nearly buckled.  The Master continued, “Do you think Chiss prosthetics are of a low quality?  From how bright your padawan is, I would guess that they are at least as advanced as New Republic tech.  If it is not the technology weakening your ability to fight … what is it?”  I whispered out, “My … fear.”  Luke nodded before reaching out and placed a hand over my eyes.  He said serenely, “Your father was forced to learn a new way of seeing the world when his eyesight was taken from him.  You can overcome this trial and be stronger for it.”  When Luke removed his hand and I opened my eyes, Niica was there.  She held my father’s saber out towards me in her hands.  She said, “Master, I treasure your trust in me for safeguarding this weapon, but it is yours.  And yours alone.”  Grasping the blade in my hand, I ignited the weapon and went through the traditional saber forms in a quick series of combos, satisfying myself with my precision and speed.  I looked over to Luke and my padawan before saying with a small smile, “Thank you both.  I feel like … me again.”

  _Luxa_

The Zeltron spymaster whispered into her recorder, “The mission is proceeding as planned.  The Jedi will be returning with us to the Resistance soon, and Syndulla suspects nothing.  My failure with him in the bedroom has been all but forgotten.  I will need to be subtler in the future, but no permanent damage was done.  Master Skywalker and Breha Organa as well as any other Jedi allies that they can recruit will be invaluable assets to the Resistance seeing as Tano and Syndulla’s Jedi are largely children.  A burden rather than a boon.”  A voice startled her, “Hello Fulcrum.”  It was the Jedi Master that they had come to find.  The Zeltron turned with her obscured face and said warily, “Master Skywalker … what a pleasant surprise to see you here.”  Luxa had travelled to the highest point on the island.  A secluded place where the prosthetics of both Syndulla and Skywalker would make it difficult to traverse.  The wizened Jedi said serenely, “I will not share your secret at the moment young one … but has my sister really condoned these … tactics.”  Luxa said tersely, “I act with the full confidence of the General.”  Luke’s face fell a bit and he said, “The war … the Imperial resurgence has gotten to her.  And her impeachment from the Senate no doubt.”  Luxa seethed, “A bunch of bureaucratic fools.  They will not see the danger until it is too late.”  Luke replied sagely, “Take that advice to heart young one.  And see that you do not walk a path of darkness.  One that cannot be turned back from.”  Luxa turned back to look at the Jedi Master only for him to have disappeared and she seriously questioned whether she had imagined the whole incident.  Perhaps her conscience was tormenting her more than usual.


End file.
